Special Needs Schools Stressed as Parents Neglect Responsibility

Special needs schools in Kampala are facing hard times because of the failure of parents to support their children.

Although the government fully reopened learning institutions nationwide on January 10th, 2022, special needs schools are yet to resume full operations because of several challenges.

Pius Oketcho is the headteacher of Mulago School for the Deaf. According to Oketcho, some parents are yet to send back their children almost three weeks after the government reopened schools.  

He explains that some parents have been calling the school to send them transport to return the learners to school while others claim that they don’t have money for fees and scholastic materials.  

//cue in;’’ There saying they ….  

Cue out…children to school,’’//   

Only 137 out of the 250 pupils enrolled at Mulago School for the Deaf have returned three weeks into the new term.

According to Oketcho, parents are expected to contribute Shillings 400,000 to cater for meals, scholastic materials, and utility bills.

Part of the money is also used to pay contract staff. He, however, says that not more than 50 parents meet their full obligation as many keep making empty promises.      

//cue in; ’’Capitation grant is ….

Cue out…something small,’’//   

According to Oketcho, although the government is expected to provide the school capitation grant, they are yet to receive money for this term, which has complicated their work. 

The government is expected to contribute Shillings 19,300 for each learner per term and they often receive between Shillings 700,000 and 800,000 per term as a capitation grant.   

Oketcho, who did not reveal how much they need to feed the over 200 children at Mulago School for the Deaf, said that they need 9000 kilograms of maize flour per term,300 kilograms of sugar, and 15 bags of beans.    

The situation is not any different at Ntinda School for the Deaf. The headteacher, Juliet Mary Tumuhairwe, says that they have turned into beggars because most of the parents are not willing to meet their responsibilities towards their children’s education.   

She says that the school largely depends on well-wishers when it comes to feeding the children because most parents don’t pay fees. Learners pay Shillings 500,000 per term because Ntinda School for the deaf is a boarding school. 

However, Tumuhairwe, some parents fail even to contribute a single coin to the school.

//cue in; ’’Some do not even…  

Cue out…the accidents,”’//

According to Tumuhairwe, the school cannot shift all the problems on the COVID-19 pandemic, because even before the lockdown some parents were non-cooperative when it came to fulfilling their responsibilities. 

She believes that some parents intentionally ignore children with disabilities and prioritize their siblings.   

//Cue in;’’ Now we are …

 

 Cue out…we have a challenge,‘’//   

Bernadette Bwoni, the chairperson Mulago School for the Deaf Management Committee, says that the major challenge they are facing is parents who have continued to look at their children with learning disabilities as a curse.

//Cue in;’’Abazzadde bagamba…

  Cue out…batuwayo katono katono’’//