Africa-Press – Uganda. Authorities in Mukono Municipality have arrested a school director and four classroom teachers for operating an illegal education institution.
Ms Sarah Okello is the proprietor of Ilona Children’s Centre located in Canaan Site, Kasangalabi Village, Mukono Municipality.
According to Ms Doreen Nakitto, the Municipal Inspector of Schools in-charge of Central Division, the school was running a kindergarten section and other six classes in just two rooms and at the same time housing a family.
“The school has been operating on a storeyed building using just two rooms as classrooms and on the second floor, there is family staying there, which is contrary to the law. Secondly, pupils were kept in an enclosed non-transparent gate, no sign post indicating that there’s a school,” she explained during an interview on February 9.
Pupils were wearing uniforms without badges for easy identification among many other anomalies.
The school had 21 female pupils aged between 4 to 13 years, drawn from different parts of the country including Tororo, Manafwa, Luuka, Arua, Mbale.
“Police are charged with the responsibility of reaching out to parents to come and take their children to other registered schools,” Ms Nakitto added.
Mukono Municipal Mayor, Mr Erisa Mukasa Nkoyoyo, said they have on several occasions warned school proprietors against operating schools which are below minimum education standards but some have refused to take heed.
“Available reports indicate that Mukono Municipality has many schools that do not meet the set minimum education standards and over time they’ve been given a grace period to improve, in vain ,” he said.
He added that “Operations of that nature are going to continue to stop mushrooming unauthorized schools. I appeal to parents to first check whether the school is fully registered before enrolling their children.”
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