Amuru sets tough rules to keep the children in school

Oct 12, 2009

IN last year’s Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) results, only one child in Amuru district passed in division one. This has prompted members of the district executive committee to pass <i>Amuru District Education Bill </i>or ordinance for enforcing Univ

By Chris Ocowun

IN last year’s Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) results, only one child in Amuru district passed in division one. This has prompted members of the district executive committee to pass Amuru District Education Bill or ordinance for enforcing Universal Primary Education (UPE) and promoting pupil retention in schools until completion of Primary Seven.

The draft bill states that a parent who marries off a girl child commits an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding sh500,000 or a term of imprisonment not exceeding six months. And a person who marries a girl-child shall be charged with defilement in accordance with the Penal Code Act.

The committee adds that any one who involves a child in commercial sex or uses him or her as a domestic servant instead of sending the child to school, will on conviction pay a fine not exceeding sh40,000 or serve a jail sentence of six months or both.

The Bill approved by the executive says a child shall not be engaged in work that exposes him or her to physical, psychological or sexual abuse.
“Every parent or guardian or adult member of the community shall participate in legitimate development activities of the school. A person who contravenes this provision commits an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding sh20,000 or carry out work at the school for a period of three weeks,” part of the bill reads.

On teachers’ professional code of conduct, the bill states that a headteacher shall be present in school at all times and shall seek for permission from the subcounty chief if he or she wants to leave the station. It adds that a teacher who contravenes provisions of this section shall on conviction be liable to disciplinary action or dismissal.

The Bill further states that a teacher who engages in sexual relationship with his or her pupils or spouses of fellow teachers and members of the community, shall be liable on conviction to a punishment in accordance to section 129(1) of the Penal Code (Amendment) Act of 2007.

The members of the Amuru executive committee agreed that all defilement cases shall be reported to the Police. Any person who conceals defilement shall be fined sh40,000 or be sentenced to prison for six months or both.

The chief administrative officer of Amuru district, Bruno Mwayita, says the initiative was made in an attempt to rejuvinate the education sector and promote the education of children from Amuru district.

“This seeks to enhance the successful implementation of the primary education and other related education matters by improving the enforcement of UPE through promotion of pupils’ retention in schools until completion of basic primary level,” he says in a letter to the district chairman.

Amuru district secretary for education, Gilbert Olanya, says as soon as the district council passes the Bill, parents who do not send their children to school will be punished.

The education department in partnership with the various subcounties has launched an operation to round up children and parents who instead of going to schools, go to cultivate.

About 1,000 parents and children have been rounded up in the operation that started from Koc-Goma subcounty, Anaka, Amuru and Atyak subcounties. In Anaka subcounty, the parents of over 300 children who were rounded, were fined sh5,000 for each child.

Olanya says the operation would continue in all the subcounties.

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