Minister Kyambadde wants parents to change mindset on UPE

Kyambadde (wearing gomesi) and Rieber (fourth left) during the commissioning of Freedom Primary School and Orphanage Centre

The Minister for Trade, Industry and Co-operatives, Hon Amelia Kyambadde, has called on parents with children in Universal Primary Education (UPE) schools to fulfill their responsibility of providing basic requirements for their children.

Kyambadde said some parents have ignored their role of providing requirements for their children under UPE, which has sabotaged the government programme.

"There is need for parents to change their mindset about UPE Schools. Parents think their responsibility is only to send their children to school without requirements such as books, pencils and uniform, this is wrong" Kyambadde Said.

The minister who also doubles as the Mawokota North Member of Parliament in Mpigi district made the remarks while commissioning Freedom Primary School and Orphanage Centre in Nsumba, Kammengo sub-county, Mpigi district on Saturday.

Kyamabdde thanked the school proprietor, Richard Kiwanuka, for lobbying for the school which was built with the aim of helping and offering education to the disadvantaged children, orphans and street children.

"I pledge to lobby so that the school gets clean piped water, electricity and infrastructure to enable it give quality education to children from the community," Kyambadde said.

According to Kiwanuka, he started the facility to offer education to the disadvantaged children and help rehabilitate the street children into responsible citizens.

"I wanted to help the needy children and when I came back from Norway where I had been for over 20 years, I mobilised support from the Norwegian community and we established Freedom Children's Home," Kiwanuka said.

The school cost sh500m and was constructed with support from Mariane Rieber and the Norwegian Community.