Africa-Press – Uganda. Teachers at Acomai Primary School in Kamutur Sub-county, Bukedea District, have chosen to construct their own houses during this long holiday period after failing to get government support for the last 26 years.
Acomai Primary School is among the underprivileged government-aided schools in the district, with only one dilapidated classroom block, which is also at the verge of collapse. The school doesn’t have teachers’ houses, staff room and offices.
All pupils from Primary One to Primary Six study in an incomplete building with no partitions.
Escaping rent
Mr Robert Oluga, who has taught at the school for the last nine years without accommodation, said they rent houses in the distant trading centres and whenever it rains, they fail to report for duty.
“All along I have been renting in Kolir Trading Centre, but now rent has increased and it is the reason we have decided to build our own houses,” Mr Oluga told on Tuesday.
He said government’s promise to construct proper classrooms and staff quarters at the school have not yielded any positive results.
“We had planted clone eucalyptus trees as teachers and that is what we are using as poles to construct houses. However, these trees are not enough and some teachers have to look for trees to supplement on the poles available in the school forest,” he added.
Mr Martine Olupot, another teacher who was found busy erecting his house, said he has been trekking 11kms daily to reach the school.
“What we go through makes one think teaching is a cursed profession. We go through a lot, which authorities at the top don’t know,” he said.
Mr Stephen Okurut, the Bukedea District education officer, said they have a plan to improve infrastructure at Acomai Primary School but they are constrained by limited funds.
“It is in the pipeline to set up classroom blocks and staff quarters at that school and when funds are provided, that plan will be actualised,” he said.
He said the idea of teachers to construct mud and wattle houses reinforced by strong poles was an initiative introduced by the school head teacher.
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