Schools should not close on same day
Apr 23, 2007
KAMPALA and surrounding areas came to near standstill last Friday as schools closed for holidays. Bus and taxi parks were jammed with travellers unable to find vehicles, and transport costs rose sharply for those who were lucky to get on board.
KAMPALA and surrounding areas came to near standstill last Friday as schools closed for holidays. Bus and taxi parks were jammed with travellers unable to find vehicles, and transport costs rose sharply for those who were lucky to get on board. Many had to cancel their journeys.
The traffic hold-up was sickening. All parents and guardians were rushing to pick their children at the same time, and in the process everyone was inconvenienced – including those who had nothing to do with schools.
Travellers moving in and out of Kampala that day hate to remember what they went through. Those going to Eastern took two– three hours to move between Nakawa and Mukono. This is because Jinja Road is host to big schools like Namagunga, Nabisunsa, Kyambogo, Namilyango, Seeta and many others. The situation was not better on Masaka Road, home to several big schools like St. Lawrence, Budo, Nabbingo, Kabojja and others in Mengo and Lubaga.
Two factors account for this. First, there are no alternative routes out of the city because of poor planning. This problem won’t go away soon because the location of the much-hyped Northern Bypass was ill-conceived.
The road is very close to the city centre and passes through congested commercial and residential areas of Bweyogerere, Bwaise and Kalerwe. In effect it is just another city street. A true bypass would have started in Lugazi and gone through Kayunga, Kasangati, Kawanda, Buloba and joined Masaka Road near Mpigi Town Council.
Secondly, the Ministry of Education is too rigid to allow schools fix their own timetables. Schools would be willing to release and receive students in shifts, say one class per day, so that closing or opening of the term takes a week.
Only a few reasonable head-teachers have defied the ministry and continue to release students a day before or after the official closing date.
For example, Uganda Martyrs Namugongo closed on Saturday and this was a big relief to parents. Kudos to Mr. Muyingo for that innovation.
The Ministry should allow more flexibility. Let there be different opening and closing dates for primary and secondary schools respectively.
The traffic hold-up was sickening. All parents and guardians were rushing to pick their children at the same time, and in the process everyone was inconvenienced – including those who had nothing to do with schools.
Travellers moving in and out of Kampala that day hate to remember what they went through. Those going to Eastern took two– three hours to move between Nakawa and Mukono. This is because Jinja Road is host to big schools like Namagunga, Nabisunsa, Kyambogo, Namilyango, Seeta and many others. The situation was not better on Masaka Road, home to several big schools like St. Lawrence, Budo, Nabbingo, Kabojja and others in Mengo and Lubaga.
Two factors account for this. First, there are no alternative routes out of the city because of poor planning. This problem won’t go away soon because the location of the much-hyped Northern Bypass was ill-conceived.
The road is very close to the city centre and passes through congested commercial and residential areas of Bweyogerere, Bwaise and Kalerwe. In effect it is just another city street. A true bypass would have started in Lugazi and gone through Kayunga, Kasangati, Kawanda, Buloba and joined Masaka Road near Mpigi Town Council.
Secondly, the Ministry of Education is too rigid to allow schools fix their own timetables. Schools would be willing to release and receive students in shifts, say one class per day, so that closing or opening of the term takes a week.
Only a few reasonable head-teachers have defied the ministry and continue to release students a day before or after the official closing date.
For example, Uganda Martyrs Namugongo closed on Saturday and this was a big relief to parents. Kudos to Mr. Muyingo for that innovation.
The Ministry should allow more flexibility. Let there be different opening and closing dates for primary and secondary schools respectively.