Godfrey Mugisha the LC 3 Chairperson of Kinyogogga sub county says that in December, Save the Children handed over the schools to Nakaseke district after their funding ended. Mugisha says that although schools resumed operations this term, there are facing crisis that of teachers not paid salaries and the district is yet to budget for them.
At least twelve community Primary Schools in Nakaseke district have resumed operations without funding from Ministry of Education and Sports.
The affected schools are Bwerampindi, Mityomere, Ngando, Lukumbi, Kagongi, Kimotozi, Natigi, Bulyamusenyu Butalangu, Keshande, Sakabusolo, and Kirangazi primary schools.
The schools were constructed by Save the Children and Building for Tomorrow, Non-Government Organizations to extend education services in hard to reach areas in the district.
Save the Children also recruited teachers in the schools whereas Building For Tomorrow constructed only structures.
Godfrey Mugisha the LC 3 Chairperson of Kinyogogga sub county says that in December, Save the Children handed over the schools to Nakaseke district after their funding ended.
Mugisha says that although schools resumed operations this term, there are facing crisis that of teachers not paid salaries and the district is yet to budget for them.
He adds that they are planning to meet the parents of the community schools which are located in his sub-county and ask them to commit themselves to pay teachers until government takes over the responsibility.
He, however, fears that this may be hard since some parents think it's the responsibility of the government.
Samuel Musasizi a parent of Lukumbi Primary Community School says that the residents are poor and can't afford to raise enough money to run the school hence the need for government intervention.
Fredrick Ssebyala a member of school management committee, Lukumbi Primary Community School says that the withdrawal of Save the Children was big blow to the education in the community.
Ssebyala says with support of the organization, they have been constructing another classroom block which was not completed leaving parents stranded.
Goretti Mukagatale, the District Secretary for Education says that the Education Department has redistributed two teachers from some government-aided schools to the community schools to enable them resume operations until when they are coded by Ministry of Education.
Mukagatale says they are mobilizing the parents to contribute to school activities until they are fully taken over by government.
The schools need at least 100 teachers for the 2,000 pupils enrolled there.
Recently Ignatius Koomu the LC 3 Chairperson of Nakaseke says that the district lacks local revenue to pay the teachers. He wants the Ministry of Education to speed up the process of coding to access funding.
Koomu warned that although they won't close any school, parents may withdraw learners and teachers leave if Ministry don't respond to their appeals in time.
Rosemary Nansubuga Sseninde the State Minister for Primary Education explains that the Ministry has received several requests to code community schools but the Ministry of Finance is yet to avail funds.
