Africa-Press – Uganda. Legislators from Karamoja yesterday tabled a number of proposals, including compulsory free education and boarding for all learners, which they believe will help transform education in the sub-region.
Among the reforms, the MPs want tough penalties for parents who withdraw their children from schools to send them to city streets to beg for money.
The legislators also want the government to increase the loan scheme slots for students from the sub-region and well provide free meals in government schools.
While making their presentation to the Amanya Mushega-led Education Policy Review Commission in Nakawa, Kampala, yesterday, Mr Ngoya John Bosco, the Bokara Constituency MP, said the main perpetrators of insecurity in the region are school dropouts who are recruited by gangs to terrorise the sub-region in form of cattle rustling.
Insecurity in Karamoja characterised by armed attacks has been on the rise in the past four years, with a number of cattle stolen and several people killed.
The legislators indicated that if all children in the sub-region are forced into boarding for the next 15 years, new recruitments for cattle rustling will not take place and peace will prevail.
“If these learners are locked in the boarding section, they will be able to complete at least primary and secondary levels. These can join the tertiary institutions that have been constructed in the sub-region as opposed to terrorising the residents,” Mr Ngoya said.
He accused parents of sending their children to beg on the streets, calling for penalties on those who will fail to send their young ones to school.
The legislators asked the government to increase the study loan scheme slots for students from Karamoja.
According to Ms Stella Atyang, the Woman MP for Moroto, they assessed the impact of the government loan scheme that was introduced in 2014 by the government to help the needy students to access higher education.
She, however, said only 16 students from her district have got study loans in the last nine years while other districts within the sub-region hardly get a student.
“We found that districts such as Mbarara had more than 500 students, Bushenyi had more than 400 but when you look at slots for the poor regions, they have less than five students annually. This must change,” Ms Atyang said.
Legislators also want the government to have all schools in the sub-region fenced due to insecurity, saying that whenever people raid for cattle in the community, they tend to shoot in school compounds, scaring teachers and learners.
The MPs during the four-hour presentation also asked the government to provide free meals as an incentive to keep learners in school, focus on skilling ideas that correspond to the needs in the area and give youth in technical institutions start-up capital.
Mr Mushega said officials from the Commission are slated to visit Karamoja next week to get the views of the population about the education sector.
He added that the Commission found it prudent to first meet the legislators before going on the ground.
The Education Policy Review Commission was put in place by the Minister of Education to come up with a new policy to replace the current one, which was put in place in 1992.
Karamoja is one of the regions that tend to register poor performance of learners during the national examinations that are conducted at the end of the year.
According to the previously released national examinations, most districts from Karamoja, including Amudat, Nakapiripirit and Moroto hardly get students passing in first grade.
Proposals
. Compulsory free boarding education.
• Have all schools fenced.
• Increase the student loan scheme slots
• Provide free school meals
• Focus on skilling programmes
• Give youth in technical institutions start-up capital
• Penalties for parents who withdraw their children from schools to work on the streets
• Renovate dilapidated schools
• Equip laboratories and libraries.
• Fight corruption in district service commissions
For More News And Analysis About Uganda Follow Africa-Press
