‘Decentralise education system’

THE Lira district local council secretary for education, Geoffrey Ogweng, has appealed to the government to decentralise the education system to enable districts monitor their schools effectively and avert malpractices, reports James Oloch. Ogweng said the ministry of education had always called on the districts to intervene in times of crisis like school strikes yet the district authorities have little or no knowledge of the background of the problems in the schools. he said this last week while closing a three-week computer course for secondary school secretaries and bursars for the districts of Lira, Apac, Gulu, Kotido, Kumi, Kitgum and Nebbi. The course was organised by the Lira All Nations Uganda Educational Resources Centre. He said the weaknesses of some headteachers were the cause of school strikes. Ogweng said the ministry should relinguish power to the district authorities to closely monitor the school management committees and the headteachers. “There are some problems caused by headteachers but the districts have little control over them and the management committees,” he said.