Involve parents, LCs in school affairs to end fires
Aug 18, 2009
The fire that gutted a dormitory complex for Senior Six students at Kisubi High School on Entebbe Road should remind us of the need for a fire and disaster management policy in schools. Schools should not wait for an impromptu presidential visit to asse
By Patrick Kaboyo
The fire that gutted a dormitory complex for Senior Six students at Kisubi High School on Entebbe Road should remind us of the need for a fire and disaster management policy in schools. Schools should not wait for an impromptu presidential visit to assess the calamity.
The policy should give special attention to the private schools which are caught up in maladministration.
Private schools should be encouraged to always meet their obligatory role of paying for each service rendered by staff. This will sort out the issue of disgruntlement which fuels conflicts in these schools.
There has been effort by the Police and the education ministry in sensitising stakeholders on the importance of fire extinguishers in schools. However, sensitisation without a clear policy on calamities is not enough. Bearing in mind the fact that our schools are seriously congested, both in the classroom and dormitories, the policy should address the impact of congestion as an impediment to manage school disasters and fires.
Parents should be allowed to enter dormitories where their children sleep to assess the level of hygiene and congestion. All dormitories should have an emergency exit that opens not only during times of danger, but any time the matron or warden feels applicable.
There is also need to address how many storeys a school dorm or classroom block should have. One of the reasons why schools are being burnt is the lack of values and virtues within our students and their stewards.
School managers are focused on profit maximisation and lose sight of instilling discipline and morality in students.
Fires are rampant in private schools compared to public schools because of the unhealthy competition among school proprietors. Greed and selfishness among school administrators can account for some school fires in recent times.
If the issues raised in this article can be addressed and parents are actively involved in the affairs of the school and management, fires may slowly start to die down. Parents, the community and the LCs should be involved in finding a lasting solution to fires in schools.
In addition, a disaster policy by the education ministry should aim at addressing other school calamities other than fire. Disasters like strikes, earthquakes and floods should be catered for.
The President should be interested in ending school fires. He should send his ministers in the concerned ministries to assess the situation and give him a report. A comprehensive policy on disasters in schools should take the following issues into consideration: The policy should spell out how much money or material should be given to a school that has caught fire. This should apply to all government, private and community schools.
It should address the power relations between small and big schools. This will help eliminate the unnecessary tensions between big and small schools. The policy should be officially agreed on by governmnet officials, stakeholders and disseminated to schools. Copies should also be availed to stakeholders as well.
The policy should be popularised as this will address the problem of parents being charged fire fees. For instance after recent fires, Wakiso district education officers issued circulars demanding fire fees to be paid by every student.
Lastly, the policy should be geared towards checking the mismanagement and maladministration in schools. The Government should ensure all schools comply to the policy.
The writer heads the coalition of Uganda Private School Teachers Association
The fire that gutted a dormitory complex for Senior Six students at Kisubi High School on Entebbe Road should remind us of the need for a fire and disaster management policy in schools. Schools should not wait for an impromptu presidential visit to assess the calamity.
The policy should give special attention to the private schools which are caught up in maladministration.
Private schools should be encouraged to always meet their obligatory role of paying for each service rendered by staff. This will sort out the issue of disgruntlement which fuels conflicts in these schools.
There has been effort by the Police and the education ministry in sensitising stakeholders on the importance of fire extinguishers in schools. However, sensitisation without a clear policy on calamities is not enough. Bearing in mind the fact that our schools are seriously congested, both in the classroom and dormitories, the policy should address the impact of congestion as an impediment to manage school disasters and fires.
Parents should be allowed to enter dormitories where their children sleep to assess the level of hygiene and congestion. All dormitories should have an emergency exit that opens not only during times of danger, but any time the matron or warden feels applicable.
There is also need to address how many storeys a school dorm or classroom block should have. One of the reasons why schools are being burnt is the lack of values and virtues within our students and their stewards.
School managers are focused on profit maximisation and lose sight of instilling discipline and morality in students.
Fires are rampant in private schools compared to public schools because of the unhealthy competition among school proprietors. Greed and selfishness among school administrators can account for some school fires in recent times.
If the issues raised in this article can be addressed and parents are actively involved in the affairs of the school and management, fires may slowly start to die down. Parents, the community and the LCs should be involved in finding a lasting solution to fires in schools.
In addition, a disaster policy by the education ministry should aim at addressing other school calamities other than fire. Disasters like strikes, earthquakes and floods should be catered for.
The President should be interested in ending school fires. He should send his ministers in the concerned ministries to assess the situation and give him a report. A comprehensive policy on disasters in schools should take the following issues into consideration: The policy should spell out how much money or material should be given to a school that has caught fire. This should apply to all government, private and community schools.
It should address the power relations between small and big schools. This will help eliminate the unnecessary tensions between big and small schools. The policy should be officially agreed on by governmnet officials, stakeholders and disseminated to schools. Copies should also be availed to stakeholders as well.
The policy should be popularised as this will address the problem of parents being charged fire fees. For instance after recent fires, Wakiso district education officers issued circulars demanding fire fees to be paid by every student.
Lastly, the policy should be geared towards checking the mismanagement and maladministration in schools. The Government should ensure all schools comply to the policy.
The writer heads the coalition of Uganda Private School Teachers Association