MPs query sh4.7b for schools' inspection

Aug 26, 2016

The MPs queried sh4.7b used in the financial year 2015/16 saying no proper evidence of activities done by school inspectors, district education officers were shown.

 

Parliament's committee on education has asked the ministry of education and sports to improve school inspection if the quality of education is to be achieved.

The MPs queried sh4.7b used in the financial year 2015/16 saying no proper evidence of activities done by school inspectors, district education officers were shown.

The committee meeting was meeting top officials from the ministry of education and sports led by state minister for primary education Rosemary Seninde.

Margaret Rwabushaija (Workers MP) observed that many school inspectors visit schools, sign visitor's books, talk to head teachers about the schools and ask for facilitation for visiting their schools.

"No proper inspection is done in schools. School inspectors should be serious, because the quality of education is proper by inspection," Rwabushaija said.

The sh4.7 billion was provided for inspection.

Joseph Ssewungu (Kalungu West) wondered how districts like Kasese received sh26m which have fewer schools but Kampala which has many schools received sh58m. Ssewungu read out figures disbursed to several districts saying out it was not clear how the figures were arrived at. Some of the allocations were Masaka district sh34, Masaka Municipal Council sh15m, Wakiso sh169m.

Ssewungu added that the list does not explain how the money was distributed; the number of schools visited and does not reflect the remoteness of schools or districts.

Seninde responded that they would ask the chief accounting officers of all districts to provide accountabilities. "The ministry education has realised that school inspection has not been taken seriously. Even when funds are provided for it, they are diverted to other activities. The chief accounting officers report to the permanent secretaries, we shall ask them to account for the funds," Seninde said.

MPs also queried the management of sports in the country saying sports activities were underfunded. Allan Ssewanyana (Makindye West) said the national sports shop which was providing good quality equipment to Ugandans cheaply had collapsed.

Ssewanyana wondered why some individuals had taken up places for sportsmen and women to travel for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil yet they were not sports men.

He noted that a number of individuals had been appointed to be part of the boards for the National Council of Sports, Mandela Stadium and Nakivubo Stadium had little to do with sports. He said the funds from these boards were not being used to promote sports in the country.

Seninde promised that they would provide the names of the board members of the various sports boards. On preventing strikes in schools, Seninde said the ministry has come up many measures to prevent strikes. She said this include paying capitation grants at the beginning of school terms, sensitization school boards on proper management practices.

The minister revealed that government intends to start nursery schools attached to Universal Primary Education schools to tackle the problem of expensive private nursery schools. "We want to start this program with hard to reach areas but we need funding," Seninde noted.

The committee chaired by Connie Nakayenze asked the ministry to increase funds to the sports department to boost sports activities especially in schools and to rehabilitate the old stadia in the country.

 

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