Africa-Press – Uganda. A bleak future looms over about 5,000 pupils in Jinja District after authorities directed 25 primary schools not reopen for the first term.
The Jinja District inspector of schools, Mr Eriya Kisambira, says the schools include; New Hope Primary School, St Patrick Kalema, Kagoma Model, Glory land, Victoria Junior, Born Global, Williams, Estoni, Highway, Victory Kindergarten , Green View and St Junior, all located in Butagaya sub-county.
Others include; Excel Primary School, Buyengo Children’s Centre and Oxford Primary School, among others, all located in Buyengo sub-county.
The managers of these schools failed to fulfill the Ministry of Education and Sports’ requirements to continue operating, according to authorities.
“Over 100 schools, mainly private, were inspected and 25 of them failed to meet the minimum standards set by the Ministry, and we have, therefore, closed them,” Mr Kisambira said on Saturday.
According to Mr Kisambira, during an impromptu inspection by his department ahead of reopening for first term, the schools were found operating in commercial shops, lack qualified staff, space, latrines, and management committees among others.
He appealed to parents in Butagaya and Buyengo sub-counties to be careful as they prepare to take their children back to school by avoiding such schools which he says have been closed but may continue to operate, albeit illegally.
In Iganga, the district education officer, Mr Baker Kasadhakawo, said the crackdown on illegal schools will commence once schools reopen.
He added that all managers in schools with missing requirements were last year warned as they closed and that no further warning, but stop them from reopening.
The director of Buwenge Blue, Day and Boarding Primary School located in Buwenge town council Jinja District, Mr Muzamiru Musembya, said to avoid being closed, he has ensured that good structures were constructed before starting the school.
“I made sure that I constructed enough classrooms because I knew that would be one of the grounds for my closure and luckily, for over ten years my school has been in existence, no letter has been sent to me for closure,’’ Mr Musembya said.
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