By Patrick Okino
The government has issued a strong warning to secondary school headteachers against corruption and abuse of office, saying it will not protect any school head found culpable of defying government policy, committing a crime or abusing office in the course of managing a school.
The Acting Minister of Education and Sports, Dr John Chrysestom Muyingo, said the ministry is aware that the Minister of Local Government, in line with his mandate, has been vigorously monitoring service delivery in local governments and that the Education Ministry fully supports the action.
Muyingo was speaking in a speech delivered by Lira Resident City Commissioner Lawrence Egole at the closure of a two-day Annual General Meeting of the Association of Secondary School Headteachers of Uganda at St Katherine Secondary School in Lira City on Friday.
He, however, acknowledged concerns over the manner in which some headteachers suspected of wrongdoing have been handled.
He assured the headteachers that government remains committed to ensuring that school heads and other officers suspected of wrongdoing are handled fairly and in accordance with the rule of law, human rights and decency.
“Having said that, I would like to categorically inform you that the Ministry of Education and Sports will not protect any school head found culpable of defying government policy, committing a crime or abusing office in the course of administering the school,” Muyingo said.
Government clarifies USE fees
The minister also clarified the law and government policy regarding the charging of fees in Universal Secondary Education (USE) schools and the role of parents in the education of their children.
He said the Constitution and the Education (Pre-Primary and Post-Primary) Act, 2008, provide that the education of a child is a shared responsibility among the State, parents and other stakeholders.
He said the law prohibits schools from charging fees for the purpose of education in USE schools.
“It even provides a penalty for offenders and, in the same section, the law allows for voluntary contributions from parents and well-wishers towards addressing emergencies in schools or any urgent matter,” he added.
Muyingo stressed that no learner should be sent away from school or denied access to education for failure to make a voluntary contribution.
He expressed concern over cases where learners are seen loitering on roads in school uniforms during school hours after allegedly being sent home for failure to pay school fees.
“It is very common to see learners loitering on the road in uniform during school hours. When you stop and ask them why they are not in school, they tell you that they have been sent away for school fees,” he said.
He warned that sending learners away from school over fees or voluntary contributions is an offence punishable by up to 12 months’ imprisonment.
“This is a crime which you may be imprisoned for 12 months in line with the provisions of the law,” he said.
Muyingo also acknowledged challenges affecting USE schools, including staffing gaps, but said government remains committed to addressing the shortages.
The Commissioner for Secondary Education, Juliet Atuhairwe Kazoora, cautioned headteachers against mixing politics with civil service.
She said the ministry had received complaints involving some headteachers who openly engaged in politics during the recent elections, resulting in disciplinary measures, including rewards and sanctions.
“Everyone has a political affiliation,” she said, but cautioned school administrators to separate their political interests from their responsibilities as civil servants.
Kazoora commended headteachers for their work in managing schools and assured them that government would continue working with them to improve the quality of secondary education, training and sports.
She also commended schools that participated in Music, Dance and Drama (MDD), saying the activity is part of the Ministry of Education and Sports’ implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum.
She said Music, Dance and Drama, speech and poetry are among the activities through which learners can develop and showcase their talents.
Kazoora urged schools not to deny learners opportunities to participate in such activities and nurture their talents.