Public interest must come first
Sep 19, 2007
THE Indian Community, Shree Sanatan Dharma Mandal, wants Bat Valley Primary School to vacate their premises by November 1. An official of the Indian Community says they want to renovate the premises and turn them into a secondary school. Bat Valley has a population of more than 1,200 pupils.
THE Indian Community, Shree Sanatan Dharma Mandal, wants Bat Valley Primary School to vacate their premises by November 1. An official of the Indian Community says they want to renovate the premises and turn them into a secondary school. Bat Valley has a population of more than 1,200 pupils.
The deadline given for the school to shut down is in the middle of the third term. This means disorganising the school activities. It would have far-reaching psychological and economic implications on both the pupils and their parents. Where are the pupils expected to relocate to at such short notice? Primary Seven pupils will be sitting their final examinations and this is likely to have an adverse effect on their performance. Besides, this would be a slap in the face of the Universal Primary Education programme.
The decision by the Indian Community is unfortunate, coming on the heels of the relocation of Shimoni Primary School and Shimoni Teacher Training College and the court ruling on City High School whose fate is in the balance because some of its land was sold off to a private individual. It seems to imply that the Government does not give priority to education.
THE Ministry of Education, Kampala City Council, the Indian Community and the Bat Valley management need to come together and fing a solution, which is a win-win situation. Giving education to the citizens is a cardinal responsibility of the Government.
The parents and administrators of Bat Valley claim that the lease of the Indian Community has expired. If this is true, it should resolve the impasse as the Indian Community would have no claim over the land. But whichever way it ends, it is imperative that national interests take precedence over private ones. Shutting down a school in the middle of the term is not in the public interest.
The deadline given for the school to shut down is in the middle of the third term. This means disorganising the school activities. It would have far-reaching psychological and economic implications on both the pupils and their parents. Where are the pupils expected to relocate to at such short notice? Primary Seven pupils will be sitting their final examinations and this is likely to have an adverse effect on their performance. Besides, this would be a slap in the face of the Universal Primary Education programme.
The decision by the Indian Community is unfortunate, coming on the heels of the relocation of Shimoni Primary School and Shimoni Teacher Training College and the court ruling on City High School whose fate is in the balance because some of its land was sold off to a private individual. It seems to imply that the Government does not give priority to education.
THE Ministry of Education, Kampala City Council, the Indian Community and the Bat Valley management need to come together and fing a solution, which is a win-win situation. Giving education to the citizens is a cardinal responsibility of the Government.
The parents and administrators of Bat Valley claim that the lease of the Indian Community has expired. If this is true, it should resolve the impasse as the Indian Community would have no claim over the land. But whichever way it ends, it is imperative that national interests take precedence over private ones. Shutting down a school in the middle of the term is not in the public interest.