Oyam school has no desks
Mar 31, 2011
PUPILS of Barromo Primary School in Oyam district sit on the floor due to lack of seats in classrooms. The over 1,000 pupils study while seating on the floor in the school that is located in Aleka sub-county.
By Patrick Okino
PUPILS of Barromo Primary School in Oyam district sit on the floor due to lack of seats in classrooms. The over 1,000 pupils study while seating on the floor in the school that is located in Aleka sub-county.
In 2004, when Oyam was under Lira district, the school received 36 desks. These were, however, used as firewood by both the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) and the Uganda People’s Defense Force during the Lord Resistance Army insecurity.
The pupils and the school administration on Tuesday accusing the Oyam district officials of neglecting the school.
Alex Odongo, a Primary Seven pupil, said the district LC5 chairman, Charles Okello, visited the school in 2009 and promised to deliver 300 chairs and desks but that had not yet happened.
Odong said due to the dust on the floor, pupils are forced to wash their uniforms daily and their books are damaged faster.
“Some of us have never sat on desks right from Primary One. We are wondering if the Government is aware that we lack sitting facilities,†Odongo, who is the school’s headboy, said.
Gilberto Okullo, also a Primary Seven pupil, said his class had 42 pupils, with only two desks that they sometimes fought over.
“If you are not strong enough to fight, you sit down,†Okullo told New Vision at the school on Tuesday.
The deputy head teacher, James Olaka, said he forwarded the problem to the district education officer but no action had been taken.
Olaka said the problem was forcing many pupils to drop out of school or join other schools.
According to last year’s Primary Leaving Examination results, out of 27 pupils who sat, none got division one, 16 passed in division two, eight in division three, two got division four and one candidate failed.
Olaka also said the school lacked clean water, enough classroom space, had inadequate toilet facilities and lacked rubbish dump sites.
PUPILS of Barromo Primary School in Oyam district sit on the floor due to lack of seats in classrooms. The over 1,000 pupils study while seating on the floor in the school that is located in Aleka sub-county.
In 2004, when Oyam was under Lira district, the school received 36 desks. These were, however, used as firewood by both the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) and the Uganda People’s Defense Force during the Lord Resistance Army insecurity.
The pupils and the school administration on Tuesday accusing the Oyam district officials of neglecting the school.
Alex Odongo, a Primary Seven pupil, said the district LC5 chairman, Charles Okello, visited the school in 2009 and promised to deliver 300 chairs and desks but that had not yet happened.
Odong said due to the dust on the floor, pupils are forced to wash their uniforms daily and their books are damaged faster.
“Some of us have never sat on desks right from Primary One. We are wondering if the Government is aware that we lack sitting facilities,†Odongo, who is the school’s headboy, said.
Gilberto Okullo, also a Primary Seven pupil, said his class had 42 pupils, with only two desks that they sometimes fought over.
“If you are not strong enough to fight, you sit down,†Okullo told New Vision at the school on Tuesday.
The deputy head teacher, James Olaka, said he forwarded the problem to the district education officer but no action had been taken.
Olaka said the problem was forcing many pupils to drop out of school or join other schools.
According to last year’s Primary Leaving Examination results, out of 27 pupils who sat, none got division one, 16 passed in division two, eight in division three, two got division four and one candidate failed.
Olaka also said the school lacked clean water, enough classroom space, had inadequate toilet facilities and lacked rubbish dump sites.