Authorities decry abseentism among teachers
EDUCATION authorities have decried the increasing absenteeism of headteachers and teachers in Kasese district.
By Michael Karugaba
EDUCATION authorities have decried the increasing absenteeism of headteachers and teachers in Kasese district.
Speaking at the education review meeting at Rwenzori International Hotel last week, the principle education officer, Douglas Katemba, and the principle inspector of schools, George Mayinja, said the vice had affected the academic performance of pupils.
The meeting, which attracted different stakeholders, was organised by Kasese district development network, an umbrella organisation which brings together all NGOs in the district education sector.
Katemba said the headteachers, who are supposed to monitor teachers, are always away from school doing their private business.
He condemned the act, saying the education department and other stakeholders were building pupils’ capacity to monitor teachers without conflicting with them.
He observed that the teacher-pupil ratio in the district was one to 117 instead of the recommended one to 40. The education officer said the district needed over 400 teachers.
Mayinja also blamed parents for their children’s failure in class.
“Most parents do not provide midday meals and scholastic materials to their children,†he observed.
Mayinja said there was need for community mobilisation on the role of parents.
Despite of the Universal Primary Education (UPE) programme, he said the enrollment of the girls in the district was still low as most of them dropout of school before completing Primary Seven.
Mayinja called for a joint meeting with non-governmental organisations dealing in child protection to harmonise service delivery on a regular basis.
Felix Mwesige, the secretary for the Uganda National Teachers Association in Kasese, called on teachers to improve their conduct in and outside schools.
He observed that school management committees did not know their roles and guidelines, saying there was need for a capacity building workshop as a way of improving education standards.
“Most school management committee chairpersons connive with head teachers to privately use UPE grants, yet it is their role to monitor that money,†said Mwesige.
He said most headteachers school management committees to misuse scholastic materials given to schools by the education ministry.
EDUCATION authorities have decried the increasing absenteeism of headteachers and teachers in Kasese district.
Speaking at the education review meeting at Rwenzori International Hotel last week, the principle education officer, Douglas Katemba, and the principle inspector of schools, George Mayinja, said the vice had affected the academic performance of pupils.
The meeting, which attracted different stakeholders, was organised by Kasese district development network, an umbrella organisation which brings together all NGOs in the district education sector.
Katemba said the headteachers, who are supposed to monitor teachers, are always away from school doing their private business.
He condemned the act, saying the education department and other stakeholders were building pupils’ capacity to monitor teachers without conflicting with them.
He observed that the teacher-pupil ratio in the district was one to 117 instead of the recommended one to 40. The education officer said the district needed over 400 teachers.
Mayinja also blamed parents for their children’s failure in class.
“Most parents do not provide midday meals and scholastic materials to their children,†he observed.
Mayinja said there was need for community mobilisation on the role of parents.
Despite of the Universal Primary Education (UPE) programme, he said the enrollment of the girls in the district was still low as most of them dropout of school before completing Primary Seven.
Mayinja called for a joint meeting with non-governmental organisations dealing in child protection to harmonise service delivery on a regular basis.
Felix Mwesige, the secretary for the Uganda National Teachers Association in Kasese, called on teachers to improve their conduct in and outside schools.
He observed that school management committees did not know their roles and guidelines, saying there was need for a capacity building workshop as a way of improving education standards.
“Most school management committee chairpersons connive with head teachers to privately use UPE grants, yet it is their role to monitor that money,†said Mwesige.
He said most headteachers school management committees to misuse scholastic materials given to schools by the education ministry.