The IGG should move swiftly on UPE problems

SIR— In 1996, the Government showed yet another commitment to the development and improvement of the education in Uganda. This was through the introduction of the Universal Primary Education (UPE) where each household would have four children receive free education.This was a welcomed idea. Funds for it were raised given the fact that it would relieve parents of some money to enable the poor to attain some basic education.However, between July 1998 and June 2001, over 40 districts failed to account for sh17,171b disbursed to them. According to Mr Lubanga, the education and sports permanent secretary, the money was meant for classroom construction under the schools facilitation grant (SFG), the Teacher Development and Management systems (TDMS) grant and for capacity building in the districts.Subjecting teachers to low, delayed or no pay at all reduces their morale when it comes to issues of imparting knowledge to the eager young.Surprisingly, some of the districts that defaulted on the capacity building funds and the classroom construction fund like Kumi, Masindi, Arua, Nebbi, Sembabule, Nakasongola, are the ones with “tree classrooms”.This time, the IGG must investigate the matter and save us the millions that are lost in the hands of district officials.Paul OnapaKampala