Procedure of registering a school
Sep 16, 2008
BEFORE a school is registered by the education ministry, there are procedures to follow. Aggrey Kibenge, the ministry’s spokesperson, says the process starts at the district. Forms are filled and endorsed by relevant authorities — within the local government structures before the Education min
By Arthur Baguma
BEFORE a school is registered by the education ministry, there are procedures to follow. Aggrey Kibenge, the ministry’s spokesperson, says the process starts at the district. Forms are filled and endorsed by relevant authorities — within the local government structures before the Education ministry’s involvement.
The implication of this is that the ministry is guided by the assessment done at the district level. A file is opened up at the ministry by the officer in charge and a review of the necessary documentation is done. However, Kibenge says there are minimum requirements that will be considered. These include:
Land on which the school is located. The applicant must prove ownership of the land and must also attach details of the resources available for the school, like bank statements.
Also required is the number of staff going to run the school and their qualifications.
The management team or Board of Directors in case of private schools needs to be indicated.
Evidence of access to recreational facilities, including sports fields. Some schools do not own fields but it is permissible to bring evidence that you have permission to use recreational facilities that are within your reach or the school vicinity. This is especially for schools that might be situated within cities or towns.
Once all the minimum requirements are provided, the school is given a provisional license.
Within a year, the school owner is supposed to put in place all the missing requirements and report back to the Ministry of Education for an operational license.
However, an operational licence is not a guarantee that a school can operate as it wishes. It is subject to routine inspection. This is where the Directorate of Education Standards (DEA) comes in. A school can be closed at any given time if it defaults on the minimum requirements. Routine inspection is intended to ensure that the school maintains the standards put up at the time of getting the operational license.
A school cannot acquire a Uganda national Examinations Board registration number unless it is licensed.
The Directorate of Education Standards
Without an inspection report from the DES, a school cannot acquire a license to operate. The approval is subject to this report, which is presented to the Director of Education. Moses Otyek, the DES director, says the body looks out for minimum requirements, key among which are:
The school must have a minimum number of classrooms, depending on the level of the school. The school structures should meet building specifications of the works ministry.
Each school must have a qualified headteacher registered with the education ministry. The headteacher must also have a minimum teaching experience of five years.
Primary schools should have a minimum of seven teachers, secondary a minimum of 12 .
All the teachers must be trained and registered with the education ministry. Some of the schools which were closed had headteachers who are S.4 graduates. “There is a school in Nakasongola with an S.4 headteacher. The teachers are also S4 and S6 leavers,†Otyek said.
In secondary schools the recommended minimum is 40 students per class and 20 for nursery schools per class.
BEFORE a school is registered by the education ministry, there are procedures to follow. Aggrey Kibenge, the ministry’s spokesperson, says the process starts at the district. Forms are filled and endorsed by relevant authorities — within the local government structures before the Education ministry’s involvement.
The implication of this is that the ministry is guided by the assessment done at the district level. A file is opened up at the ministry by the officer in charge and a review of the necessary documentation is done. However, Kibenge says there are minimum requirements that will be considered. These include:
Once all the minimum requirements are provided, the school is given a provisional license.
Within a year, the school owner is supposed to put in place all the missing requirements and report back to the Ministry of Education for an operational license.
However, an operational licence is not a guarantee that a school can operate as it wishes. It is subject to routine inspection. This is where the Directorate of Education Standards (DEA) comes in. A school can be closed at any given time if it defaults on the minimum requirements. Routine inspection is intended to ensure that the school maintains the standards put up at the time of getting the operational license.
A school cannot acquire a Uganda national Examinations Board registration number unless it is licensed.
The Directorate of Education Standards
Without an inspection report from the DES, a school cannot acquire a license to operate. The approval is subject to this report, which is presented to the Director of Education. Moses Otyek, the DES director, says the body looks out for minimum requirements, key among which are: