UNATU General Secretary, James Tweheyo

Leaders of the Teachers union are condemning the upgrading of head teachers in public schools saying the system being used by the Education Service Commission is out of law as it seeks to render most head teachers jobless and now UNATU demands that the commission uses the appropriate channels to enforce upgrades.

According to the general secretary of the union, James Tweheyo, the Education ministry has already issued head teachers and their deputies with notice that those with diplomas are risking losing their jobs noting that they now only require those with degrees to hold the two posts. UNATU also adds that three years have been given to head teachers and their deputies without degrees to upgrade within these years at their costs which the teachers union says will grossly affect the education system of the nation as the schools will be left with no heads to supervise them.

The union also calls for clear explanations from the education service commission for its impromptu acts against the teachers.

Meanwhile, the teachers are warning all districts that have continued to collect funds from teachers in the guise that they are remitting them onto the accounts of the SACCO to halt the exercise saying they are not mandated to do so adding that the collected monies amounting to UGX.1.4bn are not even remitted to the teachers SACCO account.

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This follows reports that some schools stopped students from sitting for their exams on grounds that they had not completed paying their fees.

The Minister of Education and Sports Jessica Alupo, says Head teachers should not use UNEB exams as an avenue  to collect dues from students as they should have done that during the course of the term.

She described this as a violation of  human rights because everyone has the a right to attain education. 

Alupo noted that the Ministry will put in place a committee to investigate such cases and later take action against schools and head teachers who are culprits.

A’ Level examinations kicked off yesterday with students sitting for their economics paper and biology.

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A source in Buganda kingdom headquarters in Bulange Mengo told us on phone today that the kingdom is set to offer 81,000 bursaries to children from unprivileged families in different parts of the country.

One of the officials in the kingdom’s education ministry, Church Ambrose Bukenya tells us that the kingdom is greatly over whelmed by the bursaries the head teachers of the schools have offered to the kingdom of Buganda.

Bukenya says that the 81,000 bursaries are valued at 1.2 billion shillings. To get the bursaries, the applicants have to approach Kabaka’s chiefs in different parts of the country.

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It seems the speed at which Uganda’s education system/policies move at the moment the sky is the limit. The government of Uganda, according to the Commissioner for secondary education in Uganda government, John Agaba, is to construct science laboratories and information Communication Technology laboratories across the country using resources from Iran, China, Cuba and France among other donors.

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They allegedly justified their denial of entry of the child in their schools as follows: Fellow pupils might beat the child to which mother could blame the school; Fellow pupils could tease the child as she looks terrifying. To date Pauline has not yet been admitted to any school. There is one school which promised to admit Pauline in the first term of 2012, on condition that she first be operated on and look better.

Pauline had her first operation at CoRSU Rehabilitation Hospital, Kisubi in May 2011. Her second operation is scheduled for May 2012, yet the schools begin in February. This means all this time, Pauline will be home while watching other children go to school! Pauline has no other health problem to prohibit her from enrolling into school. These schools which rejected Pauline, advised her mother to try other schools in Makindye and Kabalagala, but these are far away from where the child stays in Nsambya. What happened to Pauline is unfortunate. Such is the plight of children with disability. Shame be on the head teachers of these four schools and to all those who

would do the same if they are approached.

What they did shows clear discrimination of children with disability and violation of their basic rights. If this happened in Kampala where such school heads are expected to be at least more informed and enlighten, what if it were in rural schools? Children with disabilities are also children like others, with full rights especially the right to education or to be admitted in school, no matter how they look. We should respect diversity in humanity. What if such a child belonged to you or to one of these head teachers? Statistics indicate that there are over 500,000 children with disability in Uganda. The most commonly observed disabilities are loss and limited use of limbs, spine injuries, hearing difficulties, seeing difficulties, difficulty in speech and conveying messages, mental retardation, and mental illness, among others. It is observed and reported that despite efforts put in place by Government and other actors, children with disability are still treated with low priority in society. Consequently, this discrimination and neglect further erodes these children’s self-esteem and confidence to the extent that they cannot voice their needs and freely socialize with others. In 2010, Comprehensive Rehabilitation Services Uganda (CoRSU) CBR program carried out a disability mapping exercise in Katabi Sub-county, Wakiso District. Findings revealed that among the many difficulties faced by children with disabilities (CWDs) and other vulnerable children is the right to health, food, love, education, play and parental care.

Some sections of the community feel that spending resources on disabled children is “useless and deserve no attention because they are regarded as non-productive”. In the same exercise, during the consultative meetings held with the councilors, community development officers, parents and the sub-county chief of Kasanje, it was noted that attitude towards CWDs is

very negative and as a result, such children are often denied basics of life like healthcare, education and protection. This therefore shows that rights of these children are neither respected nor protected. Children are innocent; whether they look normal or different (abnormal), they are

human beings. They should not be discriminated against. All members of society should strive to protect them from discrimination. Disabled People’s Organizations and Government should scale up efforts to educate the masses about disability and basic child rights in Uganda.

By Hamad Lubwama

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Head teachers of top schools such as Buddo College, St. Marys Namagunga and St Marys Kisubi are among hundreds of headmasters who have converged to select candidates for S5 class of academic year 2012.

The head teachers are supposed to select their favourite students out of the 267, 024 students who sat UCE examinations in 2011.

Out of the 267,024 students, 254, 220 obtained UCE certificate making them eligible to join Senior Five, Primary Teachers’ Colleges and Business Technical Vocational institutions among others. Considering improved performance in last year’s UCE exams, most schools have hiked the cut off points for S5 candidates.

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 Three hundred school heads shall attend the workshop in two lots of 150 each. The workshop is scheduled to take place at the SESEMAT In-Service Training Centre, Kololo S.S., Kampala from January 15-21, 2012 as scheduled below: Lot 1, February 15-18, 2012 and Lot 2, February 18-21, 2012.

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