EDUCATION, LOCAL GOV’T MINISTRIES PARTNER TO TAME BRIDGE SCHOOLS

By John V Sserwaniko

In a bid to build synergies in mantainance of high education standards across the country, the two ministries of education and local government have agreed to intensify their collaborations aimed at effectively eliminating quacks operating schools upcountry. This new resolve was manifested on Thursday as the two respective Permanent Secretaries Alex Kakooza and Benjamin Kumumanya jointly addressed Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs) and Municipal Town Clerks during their quarterly review meeting at Hotel Africana. Kakooza, whose well elaborated presentation attracted standing ovation, was invited to specifically point out the ways in which the CAOs (being district CEOs) can help the Education Ministry intensify supervision of the education sector. Kakooza said that whereas his Ministry, through the DEOs was doing a lot to inspect especially public schools, glaring supervision gaps continue to exist regarding private schools.

He urged the CAOs to use their clout as district CEOs to supplement on his ministry’s efforts to ensure there is sufficient scrutiny on the private education institutions. He disclosed that what goes on in the private education institutions can’t be overlooked anymore because 30% of the primary education institutions are privately-owned. It’s worse when it comes to secondary education where 66% of the secondary schools in the country are privately owned. For BTVET institutions (basically providing technical and vocation training), 51% are privately owned compared to University education where 80% of the institutions and Ugandans enrolled at that level are in private institutions.
Kakooza urged the CAOs to prioritize allocation of resources towards building the capacity of head teachers in financial and procurement. He said the CAOs are good allies for his ministry in positively impacting on the delivery of education services because they have proximity to the schools unlike his ministry that is very far away in Kampala and can practically not be everywhere in the whole country.

TARGETING BRIDGE:
Kakooza referred to teacher-learner absenteeism as one of the areas where CAOs can greatly help the ministry to stamp it out of the system. He also appealed to them to specifically help in ensuring that Bridge International Academies (BIA) don’t operate until they comply with all licensing conditions set by the Ministry. He observed that the 68 BIAs are scattered in the districts where CAOs have closer proximity than his ministry technocrats in Kampala. He urged the CAOs to check on the status of each of these Bridge schools and “take firm action.” This point was later re-iterated by Local Government ministry PS Ben Kumumanya who said that unlicensed schools are a danger “to all of us and not just my brother Alex Kakooza and his ministry.” Kakooza added that: “Please go do the same with all private schools. Be our eyes and ears as well in your districts checking on their compliance levels. They should fulfill all the requirements set by the Ministry of Education & Sports.”

THE PRESIDENT’S DIRECTIVE:
The President has previously directed the CAOs to prioritize the recruitment of parish chiefs on whose responsibilities, supervision and inspection of schools have been added. The mandate to recruit these parish chiefs (who local government Minister Tom Butiime earlier in the day said are more important than even Sub County Chiefs) squarely lies with the CAOs. Kakooza, who Kumumanya introduced as a strategic ally for the MLOG, urged the CAOs to take this assignment from the President very seriously and act urgently. Prompted by Kakooza’s presentation, consensus emerged among the CAOs that they must as a matter of urgency prioritize the recruitment of parish chiefs in their respective districts. It emerged that many of the parish chief posts are vacant in many districts because of inadequate funding to have them recruited. Giving the example of the collapsed Bukeddi College Kakyoma which he visited recently on the invitation of the OBs (led by Prof David Kabasi), Kakooza said “education is a social service of its own uniqueness because if we don’t deliver there as government, everybody will know.”

Kakooza observed that Bukeddi College “declined because of the problem of local leadership.” State Local government Jennifer Byakatonda Namuyangu grabbed the microphone and commended Kakooza for making this point. She said: “I commend you PS for making that point because such things will spoil the names of these CAOs.” Namuyangu, who spent much of the day sitting in the audience to freely interact with the accounting officers, urged the CAOs to sensitize the parish chiefs about their new role to inspect schools in their areas of jurisdiction. “The President said this long time ago but many of the parish chiefs aren’t yet aware. Surprisingly even some of you the CAOs may not be aware as yet. It’s good the PS Education has reminded you. Let’s go and do our work,” said Namuyangu who commendably likes being in the field making surprise visits in the numerous local governments upcountry. Taking advantage of Finance Ministry Director Budgeting, who presented a paper during the morning session, the CAOs demanded for increased funding to be able to recruit parish chiefs.