Kasese girls school brews controversy
ORDINARILY, one would have expected the leadership of Kasese district to rejoice over the selection of a school for grant aiding by government. However, intrigue within the district is at the verge of making the ministry withdraw its support to Mt. Rwenzori girls’ secondary school altogether.
By Asuman Bisiika and John Eremu
ORDINARILY, one would have expected the leadership of Kasese district to rejoice over the selection of a school for grant aiding by government. However, intrigue within the district is at the verge of making the ministry withdraw its support to Mt. Rwenzori girls’ secondary school altogether.
The cause of the animosity in the district is a damning inspection report, which said the school, largely seen as private, did not meet the conditions for grant aiding but the ministry of education went ahead to grant aid it against what others felt were better deserving community schools.
The school was inspected on January 14, 2004 and found to be situated on half an acre of land instead of the recommended four acres. It had no laboratory nor library and the headteacher, Nuha Muhindo was also found on the Bwera Secondary School payroll, against ministry regulations, the report said.
The inspection team included Ms. C. Makumbi from the ministry headquarters, Joshua Mupanda, the Kasese District inspector of schools and Asuman Amis Masereka, the chairperson Kasese headteachers’ association. The report declared several schools illegal and recommended that teachers in private schools but also drew government salary should reimburse the money.
However, one of the proprietors of a private school declared illegal says that in most cases, the evaluation of the district inspectorate team seems to be driven by the need to find fault, not appreciating the communities’ social development efforts and “our history of social and political deprivation.â€
“The conditions under which the district authorities want the private schools to operate are stifling the communities’ efforts to participate in the development of the district,†said the proprietor who preferred to remain anonymous.
While sources in Kasese say Mt. Rwenzori belongs to the Woman MP Loice Bwambale, the legislator said the school was a community institution and she only played an instrumental role in starting it as someone who promotes girls education.
But the inspection report noted the school could not qualify for grant aiding because it operated on rented premises and that the agreement presented for using Kilembe Mines premises was for UWESO-Kilembe and not Mt. Rwenzori Girls’ School.
However, the ministry has defended the grant aiding of the school saying it was taken in the interest of the girl child.
Yusuf Nsubuga, the commissioner for secondary education said out of the about 200 schools that applied for grant-aiding, only three were girl schools and all were taken on as an affirmative action.
On the rental status of Mt. Rwenzori girls school, Nsubuga said Bwambale brought a letter from the premises owners - Kilembe Mines - which stated that they would not charge any rent as long as the school was grant aided, until such a time when it gets its own premises.
“So when we looked at the circumstances and considering the fact that the ministry is for the promotion of girls’ education, in the interest of the girl- child, the school was grant aided. I don’t see any controversy,†Nsubuga said.
On the UWESO-Kilembe rental agreement, Bwambale reportedly explained that when she started the school, she was joined by other women activists then supported by UWESO.
According to the ministry of Education April 13, 2004 letter to Mt. Rwenzori girls board of governors, the grant will initially pay salaries and wages for twelve teaching staff including the headteacher and deputy headteacher, six non-teaching staff and provide capitation grants for students in senior one.
Another high level official in the ministry warned that they were likely to withdraw the support if the squabbles continued.
“We have made it clear that the support could be withdrawn and no other school in Kasese district taken on,†said the official who declined to be named. Mt. Rwenzori is the only girls’ school in Busongora county.
Meanwhile, the report by Kasese District authorities has revealed that almost half the number of secondary schools in the district were illegal. The February 12, 2004 report says 47 out of 106 secondary schools were operating without authority.
The illegal schools are said to lack basic facilities like furniture, libraries, laboratories, safe water and qualified teaching staff. Some of the proprietors of the private schools are said not to have any professional and financial capacity to manage the schools.
The findings of the report formed the basis for a District Council resolution directing the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to close the illegal schools. The report said the poor state of the schools was responsible for the district’s poor performance in the national examinations.
ORDINARILY, one would have expected the leadership of Kasese district to rejoice over the selection of a school for grant aiding by government. However, intrigue within the district is at the verge of making the ministry withdraw its support to Mt. Rwenzori girls’ secondary school altogether.
The cause of the animosity in the district is a damning inspection report, which said the school, largely seen as private, did not meet the conditions for grant aiding but the ministry of education went ahead to grant aid it against what others felt were better deserving community schools.
The school was inspected on January 14, 2004 and found to be situated on half an acre of land instead of the recommended four acres. It had no laboratory nor library and the headteacher, Nuha Muhindo was also found on the Bwera Secondary School payroll, against ministry regulations, the report said.
The inspection team included Ms. C. Makumbi from the ministry headquarters, Joshua Mupanda, the Kasese District inspector of schools and Asuman Amis Masereka, the chairperson Kasese headteachers’ association. The report declared several schools illegal and recommended that teachers in private schools but also drew government salary should reimburse the money.
However, one of the proprietors of a private school declared illegal says that in most cases, the evaluation of the district inspectorate team seems to be driven by the need to find fault, not appreciating the communities’ social development efforts and “our history of social and political deprivation.â€
“The conditions under which the district authorities want the private schools to operate are stifling the communities’ efforts to participate in the development of the district,†said the proprietor who preferred to remain anonymous.
While sources in Kasese say Mt. Rwenzori belongs to the Woman MP Loice Bwambale, the legislator said the school was a community institution and she only played an instrumental role in starting it as someone who promotes girls education.
But the inspection report noted the school could not qualify for grant aiding because it operated on rented premises and that the agreement presented for using Kilembe Mines premises was for UWESO-Kilembe and not Mt. Rwenzori Girls’ School.
However, the ministry has defended the grant aiding of the school saying it was taken in the interest of the girl child.
Yusuf Nsubuga, the commissioner for secondary education said out of the about 200 schools that applied for grant-aiding, only three were girl schools and all were taken on as an affirmative action.
On the rental status of Mt. Rwenzori girls school, Nsubuga said Bwambale brought a letter from the premises owners - Kilembe Mines - which stated that they would not charge any rent as long as the school was grant aided, until such a time when it gets its own premises.
“So when we looked at the circumstances and considering the fact that the ministry is for the promotion of girls’ education, in the interest of the girl- child, the school was grant aided. I don’t see any controversy,†Nsubuga said.
On the UWESO-Kilembe rental agreement, Bwambale reportedly explained that when she started the school, she was joined by other women activists then supported by UWESO.
According to the ministry of Education April 13, 2004 letter to Mt. Rwenzori girls board of governors, the grant will initially pay salaries and wages for twelve teaching staff including the headteacher and deputy headteacher, six non-teaching staff and provide capitation grants for students in senior one.
Another high level official in the ministry warned that they were likely to withdraw the support if the squabbles continued.
“We have made it clear that the support could be withdrawn and no other school in Kasese district taken on,†said the official who declined to be named. Mt. Rwenzori is the only girls’ school in Busongora county.
Meanwhile, the report by Kasese District authorities has revealed that almost half the number of secondary schools in the district were illegal. The February 12, 2004 report says 47 out of 106 secondary schools were operating without authority.
The illegal schools are said to lack basic facilities like furniture, libraries, laboratories, safe water and qualified teaching staff. Some of the proprietors of the private schools are said not to have any professional and financial capacity to manage the schools.
The findings of the report formed the basis for a District Council resolution directing the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to close the illegal schools. The report said the poor state of the schools was responsible for the district’s poor performance in the national examinations.