100 expelled over strikes

By Dennis Ojwee AT least 100 students in one technical and four secondary schools in northern Uganda have been expelled for being involved strikes. The students were in Pajule Technical School, Pader district, Comboni and St. Catherine Girls’ schools in Lira, Sir Samuel Baker SS, Gulu, Kitgum High School, and Gulu High School. Research conducted by The New Vision recently, showed that Gulu High School suspended up to 200 students. The students mostly from senior one and two went on strike allegedly because the school administration demoted their deputy head boy and entertainment prefect without their notice. The students were suspended indefinitely pending investigations. Pajule Technical School dismissed 20 students following a strike over food and allegations of bad school leadership. The Pajule strike followed one at Kitgum High in which the school was closed indefinitely. Students at this school went on strike claiming inadequate food, lack of water and alleged interference in their activities by the school’s entertainment master during their sports day. The New Vision could not establish the actual number of students dismissed from this school. Sir Samuel Baker on July 13 also had its students going on strike over inadequate food. Sixteen students were expelled, over 12 were suspended indefinitely and the school was closed. At St. Catherine, 64 students were expelled when they attempted to stage a strike that was foiled by the school administration. An unestablished number of students were also suspended. Comboni College also expelled some students after they went on strike claiming poor administration by the new headmaster, a school source told The New Vision.