Some head teachers have already registered their dissatisfaction with the education officers in their respective districts, although many have done it verbally. Many education officers support the system and have advised head teachers to devise other ways of recovering their money before candidates sit for the final examinations.

Edward Mbabazi, the Mbarara district education officer, says the SMS system relieves parents and students of the tension they undergo before head teachers pick results from UNEB. The tension is a lot, especially among upcountry schools.

Mbabazi says some head teachers who do not pay UNEB fees in time delay to pick students’ results because they need to clear their arrears before they can be given the results. This causes tension among parents and students. “If students know they have failed and had debts with a school, they may not turn up to collect their results. As a result, schools lose money, making it difficult to operate effectively,” says Mbabazi.

The Wakiso district education officer, Ida Lubwama, also says head teachers in her district have informally complained to her about the SMS system, citing hardship in recovering unpaid school fees. “They say the system is unfair and inconvenient because it makes it hard to recover their money, especially if the students have failed.”

But Lubwama supports the system on grounds that it is effective. She advises head teachers to be more aggressive and devise other means of getting their money paid.

Lubwama says head teachers should ensure that parents pay candidates’ school fees in the first two terms or pay for all the three terms in the first term.

“Schools give parents and students a service, so they (schools) should ensure that they are paid for their services just like any business would operate. Otherwise, we cannot afford to stay behind when there is new technology. We must go global,” she explains.

Joy Manana Nakayenze, the Mbale Municipality education officer, says she has received complaints from head teachers about the SMS system. “It is a weakness if a head teacher does not to collect school fees from from parents on time,” she says.

Nakayenze says the system is good and since SMS results are not detailed, parents can still pick detailed results from school. “If students want to move on to the next level of education, they have to get detailed results from their schools.

“Also the SMS system is likely to be erroneous,” Nakayenze says. She advises head teachers to collect school dues from candidates at least by the end of the second term. “Why should head teachers use results as bait?” she wonders.