Some of the headteachers were on Wednesday handed over to the Crime Investigation Department-CID for further investigations by the Mityana District Integrity Promotion Forum.
Over 30 headteachers and classroom teachers from several primary schools in
Mityana Districts have failed to account for Universal
Primary Education- UPE capitation grants.
Some of the headteachers were on Wednesday handed over to the Crime
Investigation Department-CID for further investigations by the Mityana District
Integrity Promotion Forum.
The District Integrity Promotion Forums are coordinating mechanisms for
promoting ethical conduct, integrity and accountability, effective leadership,
accountability, and good governance in local governments. The forums, existing
in several districts, were established by the Directorate of Ethics and
Integrity.
Isha Ntumwa, the Mityana Resident District Commissioner who doubles as the
Forum’s chairperson, says that the resolution was made during a meeting held to
address gaps in the education sector.
Ntumwa says a report compiled by the district inspector of schools with support
from two civil society organizations including Chance for Children and African
Centre for Trade and Development-ACTADE identified teacher absenteeism and
abscondment, delayed accountability for UPE funds and failure to display UPE
grant expenditure reports as some of the challenges affecting the education
sector in the district.
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Although UPE guidelines require the districts to submit the accountability for
UPE funds to the permanent secretary of the education ministry before the last
working day of the month, many headteachers have failed to adhere to the
guidelines.
One of the implicated headteachers Joseph Ssembatya of Ndiraweru
primary school in Busujju County says delays by the government to release the grants affects accountability.
Samuel Kibuule the Headteacher Kabulamuliro primary school in
Kikandwa sub-county notes that some of the headteachers are new in the system and need to
be guided.
Head teacher’s Vox Pop
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In 2015, a report by Harriet Senkaali, a student of Masters of
Educational Foundations at Makerere University, noted that most teachers had no
clue on how accountabilities are done.
Senkaali, however, recommended
that the districts should strengthen the capacities of practising and newly
recruited headteachers through continuous training and effective induction to
ensure proper accountability of funds.
