Bahati said that currently there is an ambiguity in the roles of these bodies often leads to misunderstandings and disputes, as some foundation bodies act as though they have control over the schools akin to private institutions.
Fred Bahati, the Acting Ntungamo
District Education Officer, has urged the establishment of clearly defined roles for foundation bodies in grant-aided schools to mitigate
ongoing conflicts.
Bahati said that currently there is
an ambiguity in the roles of these bodies that often leads to misunderstandings and
disputes, as some foundation bodies act as though they have control over the
schools akin to private institutions.
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The
education officer made the remarks while submitting his proposals to the Nuwe-Amanya Mushega-led Education Policy Review Commission, which visited the
Ankole and Kigezi regions to gather stakeholders’ opinions on how to improve
the country’s struggling education sector.
The Acting District Education Officer
emphasized that delineating these roles and boundaries is crucial to ensuring
smooth operations and resolving tensions within the educational framework.
He said that the various
foundation bodies, including faith-based organizations like the Catholic
Church, Church of Uganda, Seventh Day Adventists’ church, Uganda Muslim Supreme
Council, and others, appear to be unclear about their limits and roles.
“Some even engage directly in the day-to-day management of schools. setting fees and charges to be collected, using
school fees in ways that disregard the PTA and SMC, while others are
interfering with decisions about which teachers and headteachers should be
assigned to specific schools,” he said.
For many years before independence,
most schools were privately run by foundation bodies, primarily religious
institutions. However, the 1963 Act nationalized these schools, making them
public to address issues such as discrimination in admission. When the NRM government came to
power, the schools were returned to the foundation bodies.
According to the
Education Act, the schools are now jointly managed by the foundation bodies and
the government, with the latter continuing to offer essential grants. The said schools these schools have
to receive statutory grants from the government to help with their operation
and management.
This support includes funding for infrastructure development,
providing educational materials, and paying staff. Bahati notes that, given the
changes in the sector and the increasing involvement of foundation bodies,
there is a need to revisit laws and policies to clearly define their roles.
He adds that frequently the central government and education officers
in local government are rendered powerless in the face of these foundation
bodies. For example, he points out that
while the law stipulates that education authorities must consult with
foundation bodies when appointing headteachers and posting staff, many
foundation bodies often assume authority and insist that the authorities
appoint their preferred candidates, even if they are not qualified.
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The issue highlighted by the
education officer has increasingly become a national crisis, with districts and
the Ministry of Education often locked in conflicts over headteacher
appointments, frequently clashing with foundation bodies.
For instance, in 2022, a
significant dispute arose between the Kampala Archdiocese and the Ministry of
Education and Sports regarding the appointment of the next headteacher for St.
Mary’s College Kisubi (SMACK).
The ministry had proposed Brother
Augustine Mugabo, the current headteacher of St. Henry College-Kitovu, also
under the Brothers of Christian Instruction, as the ideal candidate for the
prestigious 116-year-old school. However, the archdiocese rejected Mugabo’s
appointment.
The issue was only resolved after lengthy negotiations between the
church and the ministry, concluding in March 2023.
Status
of secondary education
In a related development, the DEO
has urged the commission to address the issue of partial decentralization in
secondary education, which he believes is impacting the sector. He pointed out
that local governments often show little interest in education, while the ministry may not have the reach to effectively manage all areas.
Currently, secondary teachers are
recruited, posted, and transferred by the central government, while their
salaries are paid by local governments. Additionally, many functions related to
secondary education are vested in the Ministry of Education, with only a few
delegated to the districts.
Bahati said that this arrangement is problematic, as it is difficult to manage and evaluate individuals who are not
directly under one's supervision. He also noted that teachers are sometimes
transferred to different districts without informing the local governments
where they previously worked, leading to issues such as teachers drawing double salaries or being dropped from payrolls.
The DEO thus recommended that the
commission examine this situation and consider either centralizing or fully
decentralizing these functions, rather than maintaining the current partial
approach.
