KCCA to close schools over standards

By Juliet Waiswa                                                                                           

KAMPALA - Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) will not allow any private school which has not fully satisfied the set standards by KCCA to operate, the public relations officer Peter Kaujju has emphasised.

During an interview with New Vision, Kaujju revealed that since the city body sent out a warning at the beginning of the year, a few schools have responded positively while others have not.

KCCA will close any city school which received warnings but has since failed to comply, he said.

The new academic year officially starts on Monday, February 3.

At the beginning of this year, KCCA came up with a list of over 1126 registered private schools in the five divisions of Kampala which have met the minimum standards.

Above other things, schools are required to be registered and have a licensed.

KCCA has issued new guidelines to all owners and persons intending to construct private schools in the city centre.

The guidelines are expected to take effect at the beginning of term one of this academic year. Last year, the authority gave proprietors of schools a grace period of one year to ensure that they met the required guidelines.

The minimum standards for schools include, among others:

• Setting up standard infrastructures with proper classroom blocks, disability facilities, dormitories and good playing facilities for learners

• Licensing and registration of schools with the Uganda National Examination Board (UNEB)

• Recruitment of qualified teachers

• Ensuring quality education, safety and security, and proper sanitation

• Following the timetable set by the ministry of education and proper sanitation

The guidelines are expected to take effect at the beginning of term one of this academic year. Last year, the authority gave proprietors of schools a grace period of one year to ensure that they met the required guidelines.

All schools including nursery, primary, secondary and higher institutions of learning are required to follow the set guidelines.

Kaujju said that they have engaged parents and teachers of some of the affected schools and advised them to act accordingly.

KCCA’s aim, he said, is not to close schools but to ensure that schools are not a health hazard to learners.

There over 2,000 private and government owned schools in the city, ranging from nursery to higher institutions of learning.

The KCCA spokesman said head teachers who fail to comply will have their schools closed and owners persecuted.

In the recent past, there have several cases of fires in schools, especially inside dormitories, which drew the action of the education ministry to act.

At a recent press conference, the director education services, Ann Galiwango said that among other issues that KCCA requires of privately owned schools, will be the creation of enough spaces in boarding facilities, in the classroom and dormitories, qualified teachers, toilet facilities to accommodate 15 learners and a good kitchen.

She said that triple-deckers are going to be banned. And schools for day scholars will be required to provide lunch for pupils/students.