Students discuss strikes

PREFECTS have called for a review of school rules as one of the ways to check the recent violent strikes that have rocked schools countrywide, reports Edris Kisambira. Oscar Paul Ocakacon, the headboy Uganda Martyrs S.S. Namugongo, while presenting a paper, “Remedies to Combat Strikes,” at a Uganda Secondary School Prefects Convention at Vienna College Namugongo, said the rules need to be amended to suit today’s generation. “Considering the drastic change in generations, and the schools’ attitude towards policy, have the rules changed from those of the 60s, 70s, and 80s? “There is need to have rules to dance to the tune of the time or if not, the students will fight back the school administrators to exercise their rights to freedom.” Strikes have rocked schools countrywide this year and the causes are varied. Ocakacon proposed involvement of parents in school activities and problems. He said the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) should be the channel for the students’ voice through the parents to the school administrators. “In this way, students’ grievances will be given immediate attention through solutions presented by both the parents and school administrators. In the long run, this closer contact would become a solution to combat strikes,” Ocakacon said. Consolate Munguniru of Vienna College who cited harshness of school teachers and administrators, which was the case in Kibuli Secondary School proposed that the students be given a hearing through channels that they best understand. Ocakacon cited the lack of dialogue between the students body and the school administration, saying there is no sharing of information. He said the Ministry of Education should consider a system that would bring together administrators from different parts of the country for a common view on desirable policies, the way student associations meet. Pauline Nansamba, the headgirl Gayaza High School, called on students to be tolerant and said it is the parents who suffer when a a student is discontinued. She said there was need for inculcating religious values among students as another way of combating strikes. Nansamba said, “The religious aspect entails a moral attribute that becomes a blockage to explosive actions like strikes.” Other schools that attended were Busoga College Mwiri, Mount St Mary’s Namagunga, Nabisunsa Girls’ School, Kiira College Butiki, Wanyange Girls’ School, St. Mary’s Kisubi and Progressive Secondary School.