Uganda schools’ music, dance, and drama festival prioritises environment

The minister of state for higher education, Dr. John C Muyingo, has urged schools and all stakeholders in the education sector to support Government's efforts to restore the environment, imploring parents to dedicate their children's holidays to skills development.

The minister made the remarks during the official opening of the five-day National Secondary schools’ music, dance, and drama festival at King’s College Budo on Friday.
Muyingo also expressed happiness over the theme of the day, which was: greening schools, environmental protection, and our responsibility.

"I'm glad that presentations from all our schools and guest performers from Kenyan schools are focused on the environment and the East African Community," he remarked.
 
The festival has attracted 29 Ugandan schools as well as 890 students from Kenya, according to the head teacher of King’s College Budo, John Fred Kazibwe.

According to Muyingo,  the message of taking responsibility for restoring the environment and fighting negative climate change has been well communicated through the performances in this year’s Music, Dance, and Drama festival.

"Such competitions should be the start of developing a lasting culture and practice in the lives of Ugandans and East Africa as a whole, so that in whatever we do, we are conscious about our responsibility towards the environment.

MDD is an effective way to foster the spirit of collaboration and integration among the East African Community partner states, adding that the importance of the social, economic, and political integration of East Africa cannot be underestimated," said Dr. Muyingo.

The minister of state for higher education, Dr. John C Muyingo, with some of the officials from the Ministry of Education and Sports, after the opening of the National Secondary Schools Music, Dance and Drama festival at Kings Budo on Friday. (Credit: Job Nantakiika)

According to the minister, President Yoweri Museveni, a passionate advocate of Pan-Africanism, has been leading the efforts to ensure that African countries come together to create a more viable political and economic entity for development.

The commissioner from the education ministry, Juliet Muzoora Muhairwe, revealed that the ministry provides trainers to schools to support performing Arts.

This year's hosts for the festival are: King’s College Budo, Trinity College Nabbingo, and Budo Secondary School.

The head teacher of King’s College Budo, John Fred Kazibwe, encouraged other schools to get on board and prioritise MDD, citing hundreds who have developed it as their career.

The head of the Kenyan delegation, William Sugut, hailed Ugandans for the good reception they received.

Sugut pointed out that in Kenya, the MDD competitions started at the Sub-County level, which is equivalent to a district in Uganda, and those were the schools that qualified to come to Uganda.

The competition closes on Sunday, August 24.