Soroti SS head teachers in a standoff.

By Felix Osujo,Emmanuel Ogaino, Gabriel Esiku.
 
A  fracas and uncertainty surrounds the atmosphere in soroti senior secondary school in soroti municipality soroti district after it emerged that the school has got two head teachers; one posted from the ministry of education and sports and the other the current headmistress both claiming official head teacher status.

On Monday morning, both the newly posted head teacher, ovoya opar Bromel and the current headmistress, Helen Asienzo Balikweya were at school after having a closed door meeting at the school premises with the District Education officer, Michael oumo Etoyu, and the chairman board of Governors, Professor Deogracious Olila.

By press time, information on what was discussed in the closed door meeting was still scanty never the less the District education officer Soroti [DEO], Michael Oumo Etoyu, said that the subject matter of the meeting pertained when the official handover will be held.

He said  that the tentative date agreed together with the chairman Board of Governors[BOG], Prof Deogracious Olila  for the handover is 27th –June-2012.

On the same note, attempts to get a comment from Olila were futile as he declined to give further details. “No comment, no comment, it is still too earlier to comment”, said Prof.Olila as he drove off.

However, the transfer letter for Bromel Opar Ovoya, the newly posted headmaster, written and signed by John M. Agaba, on 11th –June-2012 for the permanent secretary ministry of education and sports clearly indicates the following instructions;
This is to inform you that you are transferred from Warr Girls secondary school, Zombo to Soroti secondary school, Soroti as head teacher with immediate effect.

It further states that the service conditions demand that the hand over report duly singed by the outgoing head teacher, the District education officer, Chairperson Board of governors or their representatives and your selves should be made and the copy of which is sent to the office of the commissioner for secondary education within two weeks of your transfer.

Meanwhile the newly posted head teacher, ovoya exclusively told new vision that the ministry posted him from Warr Girls secondary school, in Zombo to Soroti SS on the 11th/06/ 2012 but he officially reported on the 13th/06/2012. “I understand Helen went to appeal in the ministry about her transfer of which she says that it was reversed but has not produced any official letter to that effect”. Said Ovoya.

Ovoyo added that he has been told to wait for the Board meeting slated for next week to determine his position.
Commenting on the transfer, Helen Balikweya, stressed that the transfer was under un clear circumstances and so she was told to come back until it is sorted out.
“Am still the head teacher of Soroti SS, because I was sent here with substantive appointment as a head teacher. And I have not been given the letter from the Ministry that I should leave the school.”Balikweya said 
 
Related to the above, the minister of education and sports, honorable Jessica Alupo highlighted the fact that these are routine transfers, saying that the Ministry does a lot of research and monitoring of school in Uganda, and there are also prescribed guidelines on routine transfers of the head teachers from one school to another, for instance when they over stay in the same school for long, when there is a problem between the head teacher and teachers , head teachers and students and the management among others.

She explained that for the case of Soroti SS, she and the commissioner for secondary education visited the school of recent and  met students, and later the teachers.

“According to the reports we have, the best solution was to transfer the headteacher,” Alupo said.