Soroti parents face jail for not sending children to school
Apr 05, 2011
PARENTS or guardians found home with children of schoolgoing age during school time, will be imprisoned for six months.
By Godfrey Ojore
PARENTS or guardians found home with children of schoolgoing age during school time, will be imprisoned for six months.
This took effect when Soroti district council passed a bylaw that is expected to reverse the district’s poor performance in national examinations.
The Universal Primary Education Ordinance, 2010 is aimed at promoting education in all schools in Soroti, following the declining numbers of pupils in school and poor academic performance in the district.
This is also reflected in the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) each year which show the district trailing behind other districts in the country.
“We thought by tightening regulations right from the parents, schools will go a long way in improving education standards in Soroti,†the district education officer, Michael Etoyu, said in an interview recently.
The ordinance stipulates that a child shall not be compelled or intentionally dropped out of school before he or she completes primary school.
Parents with disabled children are not left out. They are entitled to enroll children for primary school and ensure that they complete the stage.
“There are parents who engage children in work during school hours. If found, the parents will be subjected to a fine not exceeding two currency points or imprisonment not exceeding six months,†one section of the ordinance reads.
The bylaw also prohibits parents from using their children to buy or sell alcohol.
The bylaw is also tough on drunken teachers and female teachers who brew and sell alcohol at the school compound.
The district chairperson, Stephen Ochola, said the district came up with the ordinance to address the declining performance of the district.
“In the previous PLE results, Soroti combined with Serere managed to pass only 293 pupils with first grade out of the thousands of pupils who sat,†Ochola said.
Speaking after the launch of the ordinance, Ochola said cases of drunkard teachers in Soroti were on the increase.
“Recently parents in Teso beat up a teacher in a bar,†Ochola said.
Etoyu urged local authorities to implement the bylaws by arresting those who defy the rules.
“We distributed the ordinance to all schools, what is now remaining is enforcement,†he said.
PARENTS or guardians found home with children of schoolgoing age during school time, will be imprisoned for six months.
This took effect when Soroti district council passed a bylaw that is expected to reverse the district’s poor performance in national examinations.
The Universal Primary Education Ordinance, 2010 is aimed at promoting education in all schools in Soroti, following the declining numbers of pupils in school and poor academic performance in the district.
This is also reflected in the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) each year which show the district trailing behind other districts in the country.
“We thought by tightening regulations right from the parents, schools will go a long way in improving education standards in Soroti,†the district education officer, Michael Etoyu, said in an interview recently.
The ordinance stipulates that a child shall not be compelled or intentionally dropped out of school before he or she completes primary school.
Parents with disabled children are not left out. They are entitled to enroll children for primary school and ensure that they complete the stage.
“There are parents who engage children in work during school hours. If found, the parents will be subjected to a fine not exceeding two currency points or imprisonment not exceeding six months,†one section of the ordinance reads.
The bylaw also prohibits parents from using their children to buy or sell alcohol.
The bylaw is also tough on drunken teachers and female teachers who brew and sell alcohol at the school compound.
The district chairperson, Stephen Ochola, said the district came up with the ordinance to address the declining performance of the district.
“In the previous PLE results, Soroti combined with Serere managed to pass only 293 pupils with first grade out of the thousands of pupils who sat,†Ochola said.
Speaking after the launch of the ordinance, Ochola said cases of drunkard teachers in Soroti were on the increase.
“Recently parents in Teso beat up a teacher in a bar,†Ochola said.
Etoyu urged local authorities to implement the bylaws by arresting those who defy the rules.
“We distributed the ordinance to all schools, what is now remaining is enforcement,†he said.