Kezekiah Mbogo Jr
Every day, Manjeri Kataike, from Nalidi village in Butebo district walks 5KM each way to school in the rural Kanginima sub-county and for many marginalized students, especially girls, walking long distances to school increases the likelihood of their dropping out of school.
Yet this is just one of the multiple challenges that is pushing out most of rural children-more so girls from accessing education.
The inaccessibility of secondary education in Butebo’s remote sub-counties is attributed to unimplemented government policy of having a seed or government-aided Secondary school in every sub county.
Kataike says that she has to leave home as early as 5:30am to begin the long journey to what is believed to be the nearest school at a distance estimated between 15-20KM.
“The biggest challenge we are facing is that we trek long distance to access the only Kanginima secondary school, a purported nearby school. It’s a bit tiresome and if not committed, one-could easily drop out of school. We appeal to the leaders to establish a school in the area to cater for the rural children access to education but short of that our future is doomed,” she narrated.
Kanginima sub-county has no secondary school and children have to either study at Kakoro SDA SS about 5KM or Butebo S.S 8KM. In a bid to address the education challenges, Kanginima Church of Uganda came up with a proposal to establish a secondary school in the area.
The Establishment of the school that started in 2017 hasn’t fully kicked off with staggering enrolment of only 40 students. Part of the structures, which are being occupied tentatively by this new secondary school, was for Kanginima primary school.
However, the structures look dusty and with termites spilling over. This gives a different perception to think that the would-be classrooms are inhabitable for human beings because they tend to be looking in the direction of a kraal, but nevertheless, dotted students in some of these classrooms could be seen being taken through by senior six leavers, and possibly unemployed graduates, who come once in a while, leaving the work load to these senior six leavers. The church has offered 6 acres of land for the construction of a new secondary school.
Another student, Jane Kaisu also narrated the same challenges noting that many children in rural areas find it hard to join secondary school after sitting PLE. Kaisu lamented that: “The children from poor families are the most vulnerable and will automatically fail to get education because of financial constraints as they can’t afford private schools. Leaders have to plan and see that a school is established in the radius that will enable them access education.”
The tentative Deputy Headteacher of Kanginima secondary school, Christine Amuge blamed the low enrollment at this school that started in 2017 on parents’ negative perception.
“We have done all we can to attract these children but parents had taken them to other private schools outside the sub-county. We hope that by next year the number will have increased taking an advantage that there is no other nearby secondary school in the area,” she said.
The Kanginima LC3 chairperson Moses Tapath said that lack of seed secondary schools has greatly contributed to school dropout and poor performance. He said that children in this sub-county are finding it more difficult to walk more than 10 KM to access education contrary to government policy which requires that every sub-county should have a seed secondary school.
“Local communities have therefore appealed to the government through the district to enforce the policy of government of having a seed secondary in some of these sub-counties without secondary schools. Most of these children who have completed the primary cycle have to endure walking several kilometers to access secondary education,” Tapathi said.
The Ministry of Education and Sports, a year-back commissioned more than 500 seed secondary schools that were to be scattered in various sub-counties across the entire country as per government policy but surprisingly some sub-counties like Kanginima, remains without any despite repeated concerns raised by the community to ease movement and access of secondary education.
He noted that: “This is an outright decision to deny the sub-county a seed secondary school and yet more children are finding it more expensive in private-owned schools.”
He further said that as sub county leadership, are engaged in community meetings right from the village to the sub-county over the same and what is only remaining is to draft a petition that would be forwarded to the district leaders and Speaker of Parliament since they no option. “We have already held community meetings at different levels where the resolution is to draft a petition and forward it to the district and also walk for kilometers to face the speaker of parliament on why only our area has no seed school,” said Tapathi.
Butebo District has five sub-counties but with no seed secondary school. The existing secondary government aided schools are Kakoro SDA, Butebo S.S and Kabwangasi which are extremely very far for majority children in the area.
The DEO, Chalaire Omagor however responded that it’s a policy that every sub-county in the district to have a seed secondary and promised to continue following up. “We are not just sitting but also aware of that challenge to see that children shouldn’t walk long distances to seek education. The district is in touch with the Ministry to implement that policy of having a seed secondary school at every sub-county. For this case of Kanginima, the church has offered 6 acres of land for the construction of a new secondary school,” Omagor said.
He adds that, the community especially the church has volunteered to offer land for this noble cause but the situation isn’t good because even the existing structures that are being used by the students for the meantime are in deplorable conditions and inhabitable for humans. The community themselves have kick-started off the secondary school until such a time when the government will take over.
The Butebo MP, Fred Mudukoyi acknowledged the challenge but pledged to make a follow-up and see that sub-counties without a secondary school get as per the government policy. “There is a big concern that many children have to walk several kilometers to seek education and this definitely affects the performance in the district. These are some of the factors that contribute to poor performance,” he said.
Last year, the entire Butebo county while still under the mother district of Pallisa, posted minimal number of students and pupils in division one and this is attributed to a number of challenges under education sector.
A parent, Sisye Muntu said that the education performance in the new district of Butebo is unbelievable and regrettable to the extent that these pertinent challenges need to be addressed in conformity with good learning environment. “How do you expect a child to walk such a long distance and then concentrate? Failure is absolute” he wondered, adding that, “Once schools have been opened in those sub-counties that are facing such challenges, then we can talk about improving academic performance in the district.” For comments, call, text or whatsapp us on 0704142939.
