A tuition fee demonstration held last month at Mukono-based Uganda Christian University (UCU) left two students expelled.

Three other students were issued warning letters and one suspended after a series of disciplinary committee meetings. YUDAYA NANGONZI has been looking into the matter that now looks to be far from resolved.

When several UCU students demonstrated over what they called ‘unfair adjustments’ in fees, their vice chancellor, Dr John Senyonyi, vowed to take stern action. In The Observer report on April 25, Dr Senyonyi was quoted as saying that he would not tolerate such behaviour among students, demonstrating without prior notification.

“Once I find out that you are guilty [of organizing and participating in an illegal demonstration], I will ask you to go elsewhere,” Senyonyi said then, adding that he would also notify the Uganda Vice Chancellors’ Forum, so that all universities get to know about the issue.

And he took action. Two students on the bachelor of Laws programme, whom the university alleged to have been the masterminds of the demonstrations, were shown exit on April 19.

Simon Semuwemba (23 years) and Yasin Munagomba Sentumbwe, (26 years), were asked to leave the university premises with immediate effect. In the expulsion letters signed by Dr Senyonyi, he noted that the disciplinary committee that sat on May 5 and 16, 2016, found the two guilty of various offences.

“On April 20, you [Sentumbwe and Semuwemba] were found to have behaved in a manner that damaged the good image and name of the university when you participated in a demonstration on university premises, without informing the vice chancellor in advance; and without obtaining his approval and that of police,” Dr Senyonyi wrote.

This, he wrote, was contrary to the regulations 6 (v) and 8 (ii) of the 2015-2016 UCU code of conduct handbook. However, Sentumbwe told The Observer last week that on the said date of the demonstration, he was not on the university premises.

“I was in the outskirts of Mukono and not at the university. How did the VC conclude that I was part of that demonstration?” Sentumbwe said. “This was unfair dismissal from the university.”

However, he admitted that he may have put himself in conflict with some people in the university.

“I have always personally asked for accountability for the increase in the fees every year, which the university is against,” he said. “Am I doing a wrong thing to fight for my fellow students?”

We have also learnt that while these two students were expelled, four students, who also appeared before the disciplinary committee following the demonstration, were given other penalties.

Joshua Ziraba, a student on the Public Administration programme, was suspended, while the UCU guild president, Pius Nyikirize, Moses Senyonyi and Julius Mugabi were issued warning letters.

COURT BATTLE

But the students are not taking the penalties lying down. They are suing the university for unfair dismissal, arguing that they were not given a fair hearing, as stipulated in Article 12 (2) of the amended 2013/14 students guild constitution.

The citation states, “Where a student has been suspended or expelled from the university in respect of an offence, the student is entitled to appeal to the vice chancellor and that student may be granted forgiveness or his sentence be reduced, as the vice chancellor considers reasonable.”

Semuwemba said in their letters, the vice chancellor did not give them an option to appeal, something that prompted them to sue.

“Take notice that that this Honourable Court will be moved on the 29th day of June 2016 at 9am … as the matter can be heard,” reads a document filed at the High court in Jinja last week. The matter is filed as case number 022.

We have established that the university also received the document, as evidenced by the vice chancellor’s office stamp, reading May 25, 2016.
Semuwemba said since most of the students and the guild executive are unwilling to work with them for fear of facing the same predicament, they want justice to prevail in court.

“First of all, the VC expelled me under the regulations of the 2015 - 2016 code of conduct handbook, which I don’t subscribe to. When I was enrolled, I was given regulations for 2013/14,” Semuwemba said.

When asked if they had taken any steps to help the two students, Nyikirize did not respond to our calls but sent a message.

“Sorry, I have a meeting now.”

However, when we called him using a different number, he picked and admitted, “On everything, I have been working with the two students and taken several actions but they are confidential. I don’t want to discuss them before we reach a consensus”. Then he hung up and refused to pick our calls again.

Semuwemba concluded that Nyikirize had been cautioned by the university not to speak to the press or anyone about the matter.

“There is no day that Nyikirize has helped us. When we call him, he switches off his phone. We were struggling for student’s concerns together but when they expelled us, he does not want to know,” he added.

Another UCU student, who preferred anonymity, admitted that UCU has been engaged in several battles with students over complaints regarding annual increments in tuition.

Last year, former guild president  Arthur Baliruno was also at loggerheads with Dr Senyonyi over planning demonstrations on tuition increments, just two months in his guild office. While Baliruno sought permission from police to stage the demo, it angered the vice chancellor that he would have first consulted the university officials on the matter.

“At UCU, they don’t want you to speak on anything. They are molding you like a nun or reverend, yet a university has to bring up people with critical minds,” Semuwemba said.

“One time, we were in Nkoyoyo hall and the vice chancellor [Senyonyi] said we keep on crying over tuition, but the money we pay is like pocket money for his son abroad. I said this was arrogance and they are using this statement to incriminate me.”

To raise tuition for his studies at UCU, Semuwemba largely depends on his mother, a low-income trader, and his short deals in graphics designing. Sentumbwe has been on a Vision for Africa International scholarship as his parents cannot afford the fees. However, he says, he risks losing the scholarship, if the university does not reverse his expulsion.

WHAT NEXT?

When asked why the students were expelled by Dr Senyonyi before recommending their names to council as stipulated in Article 3 (v) of the 2013/14 UCU code of conduct, the UCU communications and marketing manager, Ganzi Isharaza, gave contradicting statements on the matter.

Isharaza first said, “The VC in his position has the powers to make decisions in the day-to-day running of the university. Before writing the expulsion letters, he had recommended their names to council.”

When tasked to explain further, he turned around and said the university council had sat on Thursday last week (nearly a month after the April 19 date when the students were expelled) to discuss other university issues.

According to Isharaza, Dr Senyonyi also tabled the students’ expulsion letters to the council. Challenged about the discrepancy, Isharaza asked for an hour to clear his mind on whether Dr Senyonyi usurped university council powers to expel the students and what council had decided on the student’s fate.

When he called back he claimed, “I now understand the matter is in court and we are barred from discussing anything to the press. This will be sub judice. On whether the VC consulted council or not, let us leave that to court to decide.”

nangonzi@observer.ug

When a strong wind blew off the roof of a classroom block in Atuitui PS located in Ongino sub-county, Kumi district in March, the head teacher was left desperate.

Venance Akodu told The Observer in a May 9 report that he needed Shs 13m to buy iron sheets, timber, cement, pay labour, among others, to reconstruct the classroom. Then, Akodu lost hope of ever receiving assistance for the affected classrooms, meant for 96 P7 and 50 P6 learners.

In a school management meeting, parents agreed to contribute Shs 5,000 for each of the 788 children in the school. However, the school could only raise Shs 1.6m.

Then the sun appeared on the horizon. Akodu called The Observer last week to inform us that the office of the prime minister had delivered 186 iron sheets to aid reconstruction.

“Although I have not yet received all the money that we budgeted for, I’m happy that we managed to get this contribution,” Akodu said. “We had written letters to various government offices and this one at least came through.”

Through the minister of state for Teso Affairs, Christine Amongin Aporu, the school had initially written to the minister for Disaster Preparedness to lobby for assistance. Akodu said the 16-member taskforce set up to move around the village with a list of parents’ names and their children managed raise their collection to at least Shs 2m, up from Shs 1.6m in May.

“When we open the school on Monday [today], we expect to have another meeting to discuss how we can utilise the money and iron sheets we have received as we wait for more funds,” he said.

He added that they need at least 1,500 bricks, nails and skilled labour to start the reconstruction. Akodu urged Atuitui PS old students and well-wishers who can deliver materials in kind to do so. John Michael Otai, the acting Kumi district education officer, said they have also written to two NGOs that are operating in Kumi to provide more support as they moblise locals to assist the school.

“If there is any more support from government in any form, we shall be very grateful,” Otai said.

As schools open for second term today, P6 and P7 children will continue studying in the dilapidated 1965 building where they were relocated.

nangonzi@observer.ug

Last week, Mbarara University of Science and Technology launched its 2016 leadership and community placement programme with a one-week workshop. 

The training, in the university’s faculty of Science main hall, saw 280 students, including 14 international students from Harvard (two) and University of Saskatchewan (12) attending the programme, this year. According to the university spokesperson, Dennis Lukaaya, the community training would add value to their qualification.

“Mbarara University’ flagship philosophy has been to train students who are able to carry out aspects of community engagement for better health and access to health services by the underserved rural communities,” he said.

Opening the training, the university’s deputy vice chancellor for Academic Affairs, Dr Nickson Kamukama, charged the students to consider the field a dynamic classroom, from which they would benefit from ever-changing knowledge. 

Some of the students participating in the community placement programme include those attending Medicine and Surgery (year four); Physiotherapy (third year); Pharmacy (second year), and Pharmaceutical Sciences. After the training, the student will be deployed in what is known as community placement for 10 weeks, from May 28.

school@observer.ug

Officials at Namutumba Parents primary school are stuck between feeling happiness and a feeling of sadness after the Saudi Arabian government offered $26,563 (Shs 89m) for construction of classroom blocks there.

The school had sought $186,583 (Shs 629.7m) but the Saudis offered only $26,563 (Shs 89m). The cheque was handed over to the school director Ahmed Moshi, at a brief function at the Saudi embassy at Kololo on June 2, 2016. At the function, the Saudi ambassador, Dr Jamal bin Abdul-Aziz Raffa, explained the situation.

“They requested for $186,583 (Shs 629.7m), and if there is sincerity, the kingdom of Saudi Arabia is willing to offer them more support. This is just the start,” Abdul-Aziz Raffa said.

The school in the eastern Ugandan district had been classified by the Royal Saudi Arabian embassy in Kampala as one of the needy community schools that need urgent assistance for development.

Dr Jamal explained that the embassy gets many applications but a sizable number fail the needs assessment test because some applicants are discovered to be dishonest.

“Some are not sincere in stating their needs; we want to deal with people that are honest,” Dr Jamal said.

Part of the school is an orphanage according to Moshi, but given the limited resources, some of its pupils have been studying under tree shades.

“We want to be competitive enough and to achieve our desired goal; we need to have the facilities that offer a conducive learning environment; that is why we applied for this assistance which will go to construction of four classrooms,” Moshi said.

He was optimistic that they would pass the test for being honest and return to the embassy for more support.

sadabkk@observer.ug

Students hoping to join Soroti University this year will have to wait another year. According to Rose Achimo, secretary to the Soroti University Taskforce, the institution’s facilities are not yet fully in place.

Achimo said they would not rush to open the university, expected to be a centre for health science and technology in the area.

“The taskforce acknowledges the support the government is extending to Soroti University since the inception of this project,” she said. “We have so far received Shs 16bn, but due to competing demands, funds earmarked for 2016/17 will not be adequate to see that this university starts.”

However, Achimo said most of the funds had been paid to the contractor. The university was slated to open for classes this academic year 2016/17, but construction of lecture halls, the lack of a university council and slow recruitment of staff combined to halt the process.

The revelation came during an engagement the institution held with leaders from the greater Teso region, including Katakwi, Serere, Amuria, Kaberamaido, Kumi, Ngora and Bukedea districts, last week.

Despite calls to reconsider, Achimo insisted: “We need to complete construction, procure teaching materials, deal with external works, set up support services and recruit staff next financial year; then the university can open.” 

The university’s academic registrar, James Gregory Okello, added that late disbursement of funds by government had also frustrated their plans to open for business.

“The contract for the construction of the university was signed by the ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Sports (MoESTS) and Complant Engineering Ltd at a sum of Shs 18.6bn, so far Shs 10bn has been paid, a total of Shs 8.5bn is remaining, so this balance is slowing the works,” he said.

He explained that the contract, supposed to run for 26 months, started in July 2014 and 75 per cent of the work had been completed.

“The speed of the contractor is faster than that of the remittance of funds; quarterly release does not accommodate the magnitude of the work covered,” Okello said.

After the meeting, a dissatisfied Benard Eumu, the district chairperson for Ngora, insisted that the university start in its current state and develop over time.

“Let us start with what we have, after all the programmes start with theory part, for anybody to say that we need a laboratory at this early stage is wrong,” he said.

However, John Steven Ikong, Soroti RDC, disagreed, saying Soroti University was not for the locals alone and area leaders ought to respect the views of the taskforce.

With the amazing pineapple, the three children cross the Sahara on camels. 

Then with Isabella’s blanket, the children are back in the boys’ bedroom in Kyamulinga. They lie on the floor, exhausted. They smile. They share memories they made while no one missed them.

Anansi has been waiting for the children to return. Anansi is a dog that does more than wander and scavenge. Anansi is a dog that wonders and ponders. Anansi is a dog that makes plans.  Anansi is a dog that plays tricks. 

No one is really sure if Anansi is pure dog. It is possible that Anansi is part spider, and perhaps part seal, and surely part monkey. No one is really sure how much dog is actually in Anansi. Everyone is sure that Anansi is shiny black, with chocolate brown eyes, and just a bit smaller than medium-sized.

On the next farm lives a big dog named Bumpy. Bumpy is also pure black with chocolate eyes. But Bumpy is a big dog. Bumpy and Anansi are very good friends. Sometimes Bumpy is mischievous. Sometimes it is Anansi who plays tricks.   

On Sunday morning, Bumpy and Anansi lie on the verandah.  They chew pieces of dried cow hide. After a morning walk, and breakfast, Anansi and Bumpy love to lie on the verandah and spend the day chewing dried cow hide.

On Sunday, they have two very different pieces of cow hide.  Anansi has a well-chewed hide, the kind that dogs prefer.  Bumpy has a freshly dried hide, hard and difficult on the teeth. 

Bumpy looks at Anansi’s hide.  Anansi is busy chewing the soft and lovely thing.  Anansi pays no mind to Bumpy’s uncomfortable hide. Bumpy is not happy at all. Bumpy does not want to work hard to make that hide comfortable to the teeth. Bumpy wants comfort right now.

Bumpy looks about and spies that little withered pineapple.  That strange pineapple sits in a backpack. The little pineapple is visible and easy to grab. Bumpy grabs it. 

anansi99@hotmail.com

The executive director of Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), Jennifer Musisi, has agreed to compensate Makerere College School for the damage incurred when part of their school buildings were destroyed during the ongoing works to expand the Wandegeya-Makerere -Nakulabye road, last week.

Musisi was responding to a protest by the school’s Parents and Teachers Association (PTA).

“We are going to meet all the costs that the school shall incur as they relocate the female students to Mary Stuart hall… on top of relocating the main administration to pave way for the construction of the road,” Musisi said last Thursday.

The city authorities also agreed to replace the gate and perimeter wall destroyed during the excavation. The comments came as Musisi inspected the site of the damage, after parents intervened and stopped road excavations that also saw the school’s main administration block and nearby six-storied girls hostel affected.

The PTA chairman, Goddy Muhumuza, was particularly irked since neither the school, nor its landlord, Makerere University, where he serves as legal officer, had been consulted.

However, after Musisi showed up, Muhumuza commended the KCCA executive director and the university top management team for showing interest in the school’s 2,400 enrolment.

“We are grateful because you have now got the real true picture of what we have been complaining about and have appreciated our concerns,” said Muhumuza said.  

With the school term due to start this week, the 750 female students usually housed in the hostel will be relocated to Mary Stuart hall in the university, until repairs are completed, hopefully before Makerere reopens for the first semester in October.

The city authorities will also set up a wooden walkway for the students to cross over from the hostel to the school under what is known as the Kampala Infrastructure Development Project II (KIDP 2).

The KIDP2 project coordinator, Charles Tumwebaze, and his supervisor Eng Steven Kibuuka later apologized to the school, saying the construction workers had made mistakes to demolish the school gate and perimeter wall without the consent of the school authorities.

MTN Uganda will support Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) in developing the city’s schools bio-toilet facilities. 

This as MTN presented KCCA executive director Jennifer Musisi with a Shs 500m cheque, following funds raised during the 12th edition of the MTN Kampala Marathon, last November.

MTN Uganda chief executive officer Brian Gouldie said KCCA was selected to support schools around the five divisions of Kampala. The money will be used to improve access to sustainable sanitation and safe water for the vulnerable urban communities, especially children.

“We are proud to be making a meaningful contribution towards the KCCA’s efforts to improve sanitation for some Kampala schools,” Gouldie said. “We are grateful to work with our valued partners; Huawei Uganda, New Vision, Stanbic bank, Rwenzori Water, Spedag Interfreight and Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF) to make this possible.” 

In 2015, MTN and partners commissioned 18 boreholes in Nakapiripirit district that were constructed with proceeds from the 2014 marathon. Receiving the cheque, Musisi applauded MTN and partners for the good gesture and challenged other corporate bodies.

alfredodcho@gmail.com

Turkey’s visiting first lady Emine Erdogan last week challenged women to seek opportunities that will set them on equal footing with the men. She said the situation calls for a curriculum framework that will help develop skills for the girls while still in school.

“I have been closely following the problems women and children are having in Africa,” Erdogan said, before challenging the women to rise up to the challenges.

Her remarks came as she officially opened a tailoring unit at Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU)’s Kabojja campus, last week. The first lady has initiated a number of key projects that aim at not only empowering women with skills but also to boost women entrepreneurship. She cited her campaign code-named ‘Come on Girls, Let’s go to School’, which has enabled over 300,000 girls, previously denied education, to go to school.

She said the participation of women in the economy would help Uganda speed up development and minimize on the gender inequality gap. 

“Turkey is ready to support Uganda’s efforts in the education sector and economic development ... Turkey will further improve on the 5,400 students [enrolment currently pursuing studies in Turkey],” Erdogan said. 

Representing the Ugandan government, gender state minister, Rukia Nakadama, said despite strides in improving the place of the girl child in Ugandan schools, girls still face significant barriers to education. She cited teenage pregnancies, poverty, child marriages, long distances to and from school, as the major barriers affecting the girl-child. 

“I wish to appreciate your commitment to supplementing government’s efforts in educating the girl child especially through your donation to the vocational faculty,” Nakadama said. 

On May 25, 2016 the first lady initiated the “African handcraft market and house of culture project” in Ankara, Turkey’s capital. The project provides market for African-made products.

“We will be selling the products [made by the women and vulnerable persons] in Turkey and all the revenues are sent back to African women,” she said attracting thunderous cheers from the tailoring unit. 

Before she left, the visitor handed over sewing machines to the tailoring unit at IUIU’s female’s campus. Four persons with disabilities also received scooters to ease their mobility in their community. IUIU rector Ahmed Sengendo commended the Turkish government for the support to his institution.

alitwaha9@gmail.com  

Late last year, Education Minister Jessica Alupo pledged that the ministry had resolved to have a classroom reserved for pre-primary schooling at every state primary school in the country.

After years of neglecting this constituency of learners, she said the ministry would make room for them. Alupo’s previous posting was as state minister for Children Affairs, where matters relating to pre-school age children are handled.

In revising the move, the minister was acknowledging that early childhood learning has a place in the education ministry. Today, the latest report from Uwezo provides more justification for the minister (if she is reappointed to this post) or her successor to finally bring this move to fruition.

Only one in 10 learners across the country are benefitting from kindergarten (or nursery school) learning. Yet, there is enough research now to show that nursery schools provide a firm foundation for later learning. Most children, who have been to nursery schools, tend to learn how to read and write faster and better than their counterparts, who miss out on this stage.

However, apart from the lack of physical space for preschoolers in the primary schools, there are other problems that run in the way of the ministry bringing kindergarten schools under the government arm.

For one, there are almost no caregivers (the name given to preschool teachers) trained by the state; so, the whole experience of even getting them onto the public service payroll, looks more complicated than it actually is.

Then there is the issue of allocating more funds for capitation grants to schools, to accommodate preschoolers. Finally, the National Curriculum Development Centre is still working on a syllabus for preschoolers. The earliest projections are looking at two years before such a syllabus is ready.

For now it seems the only kindergartens that will help children improve their learning over time are those that are owned and run by the private sector. Clearly, even the best ideas appear too complicated for the state to implement, unless something drastic gives. 

school@observer.ug

Title: Framing Reality: Approaches and Practices to Community Development
Author: Dr Saidah M Najjuma PhD
Available: All leading bookshops
Publisher: Fountain Publishers   
Price: Shs 50,000
Book Reviewer: JUSTUS LYATUU

Framing Reality: Approaches and Practices to Community Development is a new book by the dean of the faculty of Social Sciences at Ndejje University, Dr Saidah Najjuma.

Throughout the 281 pages, the author explores the participation of community members in the development initiative; the book draws attention to the roles of local community members compared to external actors.

The book provides innovative strategies for investigative development issues and presents tested participatory approaches to solving problems where both local community and external factors participate equally.

The book emphasizes that sustainable development depends on activities that empower the people to improve their livelihood, an element which, in turn, enables the communities to take charge of their lives by solving their own problems.

Framing Reality is a result of the author’s experience, training and research; the book aims at retooling practitioners to promote social justice for the poor by being grateful of the capabilities of the local people.

The book is informed by case studies in community development and recent literature in the field of participatory community development. Dr Najjuma, in Framing Reality, advocates for realistic management of varied interests to accomplish transformed livelihood.

The book guides and inspires decision makers and planners to follow the best practices and ethical approaches; it also promotes the development of necessary skills, attitudes and knowledge of community development.

Reading this book, the reader is invited to make informed choices and eventually to judge how best the communities can truly meet aspirations.

The most current work on the approaches and practices to community development in Uganda, the book addresses the needs of development practitioners, researchers, field trainers, development consultants, policy makers and development partners in Uganda and Africa, who cherish community development.

justuslyatuu08@gmail.com

Kyambogo University will have a substantive vice chancellor by the end of this month. That is according to acting vice chancellor (VC), Prof Eli Katunguka.

Talking to The Observer, last week, Prof Katunguka said although the search process had taken a long time, the university search committee was doing its best to conclude its work by the end of the month.

“The process of appointing a substantive VC is a long one. An advertisement ran [in the newspapers] in February this year and applications were received mid-March. Since then, the process has been going on,” Katunguka said.

“I think the committee is arranging to organise interviews for those that submitted and I’m sure they are moving on very well.”

Last week, Kyambogo University Senior Administrative Staff Association (KYUSASA) chairman Jackson Betihamah asked the university council to expedite the process of appointing a substantive vice chancellor.

Prof Katunguka, who is also an interested candidate, said he did not want to poke his nose into the search committee’s affairs. 

“I do not want to keep probing into what is happening. So, I withdrew from the whole process and I’m waiting to hear from them what they tell us to do,” he said, urging the staff to remain calm on the matter.

Betihamah also argued that staff was frustrated at the large number of officials in acting capacity at the university. He cited positions such as acting university secretary (US), acting chief auditor, and the acting dean of students.

However, according to Katunguka, the university recently picked a substantive internal auditor, who had received his appointment letter. He explained that the only vacant positions were those of the university secretary and dean of students.

He said the university ran the first advertisement, and the applicants did not meet council’s expectations. This prompted the university to publish another advertisement that saw 23 applicants for the position of university secretary and 20 for that of dean of students.

“We are working on a schedule on how to interview these people and get them selected. If we don’t get the qualifying persons, we shall again re-advertise the positions and maybe do a head-hunt to encourage people to apply,” he said.

In her report about the university in 2015, the Inspector General of Government, Irene Mulyagonja, recommended that, ‘with the problems of Kyambogo, the type of person for a university secretary position must be at the level of the permanent secretary of a ministry.’

But Katunguka felt that it was unlikely that permanent secretaries would leave their ministries and head to Kyambogo.

“Permanent secretaries earn better allowances there and I don’t think council might have that money to keep them at the university,” he said. “Since we need good people, we shall look around and see how we can get such a person because the [University Secretary] is very critical to the success of an institution and we cannot gamble about it,” he added.

Prof Katunguka is already the substantive deputy vice chancellor in charge of Academics, where he has served for two years of his five-year contract. Prof Katunguka took over office in February 2014 from Prof Fabian Nabugomu, whose interim term had ended.

nangonzi@bserver.ug

Later this week, parliament will sit to consider the national budget. This comes a month after the house passed the estimates for various sectors.

MOSES TALEMWA and PRISCA BAIKE have been studying the Ministry of Education, Science Technology and Sports budget for 2016/17, which shows that public universities will take the lion's share of funds, even as sector officials insist that the major focus will remain on early childhood education.

The education sector budget is projected to increase from Shs 2.02 trillion to Shs 2.45 trillion for the coming financial year, according to a report by the house committee responsible for education.

The allocations will see the primary education sector obtaining Shs 1.237 trillion (an increment of Shs 142.38bn from last year), while secondary education sector will get Shs 372bn (increment of Shs 9bn). Vocational institutions will see their allocations reach Shs 257bn from Shs 190bn the previous fiscal year.

However, the biggest jump in allocations is reserved for public universities, which are projected to share out Shs 478bn (up by Shs 184.9bn the previous year). Two major reasons have been advanced by the ministry to explain the big increment in allocation for public universities.

According to a ministerial statement to parliament, three new public universities are coming on board (Soroti, Lira, Kabale universities) are coming on board and in addition to Muni, need substantial infrastructural development.

The second reason is the government’s decision to meet the entire payment of university staff salaries. The share of the overall resource envelope is projected to increase on account of registered increments in wage and non-wage finances.

However, commenting on the budget in parliament, Education Minister Jessica Alupo insisted that the major focus of the sector was early chidhood education, where significant investments were anticipated in the new fiscal year.

“We have made progress on improving access to education; now we intend to improve learning outcomes ... and ensure quality learning,” she said.  

But Fred Mwesigye, executive director at the Forum for Education NGOs (Fenu), is not persuaded by the minister’s argument.

“The government has failed to appreciate that the problem is bigger than it looks and has instead prioritised other sectors,” he says. “For instance, the increment doesn’t match inflation.”

Mwesigye adds that longstanding issues in the sector have not been tackled in the ministry budget. 

“They have neglected the tertiary subsector for so long and now they are touching it just a bit,” he says. “We need to emphasise the tertiary subsector so the products of universal primary and secondary education have somewhere to go.”

UNIVERSITIES

Makerere University’s overall budget will increase by Shs 1,493bn with a significant wage increment component of Shs 27.5bn for the enhancement of the university staff salaries. Makerere university’s release budget performed at 49 percent by the end of December 2015 while the development budget underperformed at 28 percent. 

However, promised salary arrears for non-teaching university staff for the FY 2015/16 were not included in the budget. Those will be included in a supplementary budget request to parliament, expected in July.

On the other hand, Busitema University’s proposed overall budget for the FY2016/17 will increase by Shs 6.028bn, largely on account of salary enhancement for the university’s staff.

The committee, however, recommends that universities consider engaging in entrepreneurial ventures that will increase their incomes so that they are increasingly self-sustaining.

LOAN SCHEME

The student loan scheme, through which some students join universities, will see its kitty increase from Shs 451.2bn to Shs 474.4bn. This is because new public universities like Kabale are joining the scheme.

Speaking about the students’ loans budget estimates for the FY 2016/17, Michael Wanyama, the interim executive director, Higher Education Students Financing Board, said that over the years, government has increased its funding towards the students loan scheme.

“Government has advanced Shs 6bn  for a new cohort of students. This amount shall cater for around 1,000 to 2,000 students,” says Wanyama.

The board was able to cover 1,200 students out of the 5,000 applicants. “This year, we had hoped  to support at least 3,000 students out of the 7,000 applications we received,” said Wanyama.

The board has still a funding gap of Shs 587m on its non-wage budget for tracer studies, strategic planning and management while an additional Shs 2,607,000,000 ($709,423.24) is required to clear an outstanding balance on the Integrated Loan Management System (ILMIS) that was installed last year to ease loan application, allocation and reimbursement.

“The system is up and running but we need to clear the balance,” said Wanyama.

NCHE

The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) has the mandate to ensure provision of quality and relevant higher education. The house committee noted that the council is grossly unfunded, resulting in failure to achieve its core mandate.

Since its establishment, the council has been operating from rented and limited premises of Kyambogo University, which are inadequate to support the recruitment of urgently-needed additional staff.

Interestingly, the council was allocated over 100 acres of land, a few years ago, but its present situation only allows it a 35 per cent staffing level. The parliamentary committee has since recommended that Shs 2bn be allocated to the council to complete the NCHE office block and recruit more staff to enable it achieve its mandate in addition to being granted vote status in the FY 2016/17 budget.

Over time, the ministry and some of its agencies like the Education Service Commission require funds for land acquisition for the construction of office accommodation. However, the ministry has land in Kyambogo and all that is required is Shs 10bn to construct an office block. That money is yet to be allocated.

TEACHERS’ SACCO FUND

The government has released Shs 12,867,423,557 to the teachers Sacco funds, in the last three financial years. Of this, Shs 9,317,423,557 went to the Microfinance Support Centre, leaving 3,550,000,000 for the Uganda Teachers Savings Credit Coopperative Union (UTSCCU).  

Still, not all teachers are members of the union. So, the house committee has recommended that the Shs 9.3bn be transferred from MSC to UTSCCU and to make it possible for all teachers to benefit from this fund. 

KEY OUTPUTS FY 2015/16

The coming budget will also look at last year’s outcomes. In a bid to exercise their mandate, the education ministry disbursed 337,414 textbooks for primary 5 to 7, as well as 92,800 teacher’s guide books and non-textbook materials for primary 1 and 2.

A further 2,365 head teachers and 260 trainers of trainers were trained in early grade reading under global partnership for education. The sector has also revised the lower secondary curriculum, which as of November, was scheduled to commence implementation in 2017. That date has since been postponed, according to a ministry statement signed by Alupo in March, 2016.

Some 1,276 students were awarded loans, at Shs 5.5m per student through the Students’ Loan Scheme, in addition to top-up allowances to 371 students on scholarships abroad.

Finally, some Shs 50bn was paid for verification certificates for the ongoing construction of Soroti University and facilitation was given to one ministry official to accompany the “She Cranes” national netball team to Netball World Cup in Sydney, Australia in August 2015.

PLANNED OUTPUTS FOR FY 2016/17

According to a statement from the ministry, the sector budget is focused on three outcomes: i) increasing and improving access to quality education; ii) improving the quality and relevance of education at all levels; and iii) improving efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of education services.

The vote function plans to review UPE programme in a bid to provide more support, supervision to enhance provision of quality learning in primary schools. The support will also facilitate the day-to-day activities of the gender unit, including gender working group meetings to support training and disseminate information on menstrual hygiene and equity issues, among other priorities.

HIV/Aids activities in schools will be monitored through coordination meetings to disseminate health( HIV/Aids) policies and guidelines to relevant stake holders.

More funds will be disbursed to benefit the teachers through their Sacco as well as facilitate the District Service Commission to recruit teachers. In line with the adoption of the new lower secondary curriculum, preliminary seminars on the implementation of lower secondary curriculum will be conducted.

The committee tasked the ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to ensure that all resources appropriated by parliament for the sector are released as planned to ease the sector activities. The sector further acknowledges there is need to streamline its planning and procurement processes so as to execute projects in time.

EMPHASIS ON ECD

Despite the progress in the other areas, Mwesigye argues the greater emphasis should have been placed on early childhood development education due to compeling reasons, embedded in government statistics.

“The census confirmed that 10 million Ugandans are below the age of 30 years, and many of these are illiterate ... so, it does not justify the move to transfer attentions away,” Mwesigye said. “The shift to tertiary does not improve the status quo – it takes us back to where we have been, where only a few can get through the education system.”

TABLE: COMPARISON OF EDUCATION BUDGET FOR 2015/16 AND 2016/17 

mtalemwa@observer.ug

pbaike@yahoo.com

For years, the affluent parents have invested in expensive kindergarten education. The less affluent never realised its importance until last week, when the Uwezo report highlighted its benefits in learning. MOSES TALEMWA was on hand as Uwezo released their fifth annual report.

Last Wednesday, several educationists gathered at Nakasero primary school for the release of the fifth annual Uwezo report by Twaweza Uganda. From the start, it was an occasion to assess Uganda’s education outcomes.

Introducing the report, Dr Mary Goretti Nakabugo, the manager for Uwezo Uganda, declared that P3 pupils, who had completed a kindergarten education, were three times more likely to read a P2 level story than those who had missed out preschool.

Dr Nakabugo explained that the findings were drawn from data collected in 2014 from a nationally-representative sample of 28 districts in Uganda. She added that the report entitled Are our Children Learning?

Five Stories on the State of Education in Uganda in 2015 and Beyond is clustered around the six Education for All (EFA) goals, and focuses on: early childhood education (EFA Goal 1 on early childhood care and education), access to, and progression through, primary school (EFA Goal 2 on access to and completion of primary education for all), youth and mothers’ literacy as well as vocational and business training opportunities (EFA Goals 3 and 4 on adult literacy and lifelong learning), inequalities including gender (EFA Goal 5 on gender and other inequalities) and learning outcomes (EFA Goal 6 on the quality of education).

“Despite marked progress in increasing access to education in recent years, Uganda has not fully met its commitments under the Education for All Goals. And the improved national average figures conceal stark contrasts between the different districts and wealth classes of Uganda,” she said.

Dr Nakabugo called for increased support to early childhood development, adult literacy and vocational and other training for young people, which had suffered as the state focused more on primary education.

“Even then, in primary education, the high investment has not translated into learning outcomes; too many children in primary 3 to 7 are unable to complete primary 2 level work,” she charged.

However, she explained that there was concern that despite the high enrolment in primary school, the national average concealed stark inequalities. “Many children have never been enrolled in school, for instance in Kotido (61%), Nakapiripirit (35%), and Moroto (27%) have never seen a blackboard – should we not discuss this as well?”

Another major issue identified by the Uwezo data is the slow rate of progression through primary school. 

“Many children are more than two years too old for their grade and the problem gets worse among older children. At age of eight years, 31% of pupils are two or more years too old for their class and at age 13, 82% of pupils are two or more years too old for the grade they are in,” she added.

The Uwezo data also showed that children in eastern Uganda have the highest pupil-to-teacher ratios, (62 pupils per teacher, compared to 41 per teacher in western and central), and pupil-to-classroom ratios (104 pupils per classroom compared to 64 per classroom in western Uganda). 

Consequently, in eastern Uganda, 21% of primary 3 to 7 pupils are able to read a primary 2 story and do P2 level division, compared to 41% in Central.

WHAT HAS NOT CHANGED

Uwezo data confirmed previous assertions that children were more likely to learn better if one of both of their parents were able to read or write.

“Half of children whose mothers can read a primary 2 level story can read the same story whereas 36% of children whose mothers cannot read the story can themselves read it,” the report reads.

The report also showed that learners in private schools were on average better able to read and write than those in government schools. “In private schools, 31% of children can read a P2 story (in English) and 36% can do P2 division. In government schools, only 12% have basic English literacy skills and 23% have basic numeracy skills.” 

However, the disparity was evened out when it came to gender. “Girls and boys tend to perform similarly in literacy and numeracy across all grade levels.”

ADULT LITERACY

The Uwezo report also looked at the level of literacy among older youths and the elderly. The data showed that 64% of mothers had had a primary education or below, while 24% of mothers completely lacked any education. 

“Given these figures and the low availability of adult literacy programmes, the data indicate that the Education for All Goals on adult literacy and lifelong learning are not being met,” Nakabugo said. “There is a need to invest more in these programmes as they have a bearing on what happens to the children born in these families.”

The fifth learning assessment also found that 3.5% of children in school have problems with vision in one or both eyes. Dr Nakabugo challenged teachers to consider simple tests to determine whether the learners were able to learn.

“Sometimes a child is not able to read or write, because they can’t see ... and an early check up by a teacher can lead to a child getting help,” she said. 

Reflecting on this aspect of the report, the head teacher at Nakasero primary school, Brother Charles Ssengendo, charged other teachers across the country to do their best so, “tomorrow’s graduates will be able to salute us and say thank you for helping me to learn”.

CONCLUSION

In her concluding remarks, Dr Nakabugo felt that the lapse in the period in which countries were supposed to have met the EFA goals should, “provide opportunity for us to take stock and reflect on what our education system is and isn’t delivering ... We need to make primary education more efficient and effective, increase government’s role in the provision of early childhood development and education, and expand adult literacy and youth training programmes”. 

Otherwise, she insisted the country was unlikely to ever be able to achieve the vision for a prosperous and stable Uganda.”

mtalemwa@observer.ug

Big dog Bumpy and little dog Anansi sit and chew cow hide. Anansi is happy. Bumpy is not. Bumpy bit of hide is too tough. 

Bumpy looks about and spies the little strange pineapple in Dingo Pingo’s backpack.  The little pineapple is visible and easy to grab.  Bumpy grabs it.  This pineapple is softer than that tough hide.  Bumpy is happy to chew the pineapple.

Anansi sees what Bumpy has done. Anansi does not want Bumpy to take Dingo Pingo’s pineapple. Anansi thinks and thinks. Anansi ponders and wonders. Anansi wants to get the pineapple away from Bumpy. 

Anansi watches Bumpy chew the pineapple. Bumpy chews and chews. Anansi wants that pineapple safe from Bumpy. Anansi wants to save the pineapple for Dingo Pingo. Anansi creates a plan. Anansi creates a trick. This is what Anansi does. 

Anansi barks a sharp bark. Anansi barks the bark that dogs bark when they hear footsteps outside the house. Anansi barks the bark that means that someone has arrived at the door. Anansi barks the bark of protecting the house. Anansi barks the bark of the main job of the dog. 

Bumpy knows the job of the dog. Bumpy knows what that bark means. When Anansi barks that particular bark, Bumpy drops the pineapple.  Bumpy jumps up to run to the door.  There is no one at the door. 

Anansi knows this. But Bumpy does not know this. Bumpy does not know Anansi’s trick.  Bumpy runs to the door to protect the house. Bumpy runs to warn the approaching stranger that a guard dog is here.

Anansi’s plan is working. Anansi now moves to the next step. Anansi leaves the soft hide. Anansi runs to Dingo Pingo’s pineapple, which Bumpy chewed. Anansi runs to the pineapple.  Anansi grabs it. Anansi runs to Dingo Pingo and drops it at his feet. “Good dog!  Thank you, Anansi!”

Dingo Pingo picks the pineapple from the verandah.  Dingo Pingo examines it. 

“Justi, come here!  We have a problem!”

anansi99@hotmail.com

For a long time, parents have lived in the hope that boarding schools are better than day schools, when it comes to raising teenagers.

These parents held the view that in a boarding school someone would be watching their children, to make sure they developed a discipline that they hold them in high regard over time.

Well, research now shows that these parents are living with a false hope. And the children studying in day schools are not faring much better than their boarding counterparts. Something heartbreaking has happened in our schools that both the parents and teachers have missed.

The worst fears for today’s parents, who were themselves in school in the 1980s, included alcoholism. Well, today’s parents will soon need to start fearing what is happening in schools, as they are increasingly hit by a serious drug-taking crisis.

Many schools today have children taking drugs like marijuana (for the low end of the income scale) as well as shisha and cocaine (for the higher end). The damage that such drugs are doing to the youth is unbelievable.

Youths, who start out with a bright future, end up with ruined lives, waking up regularly in garbage skips, with no sense of direction for future. Parents, who pay tuition fees to ensure that teachers keep their children away from drugs, will be dismayed to realise that this vice is happening regardless.

Teachers, who are convinced that their students are some of the most disciplined, will be shocked that they are harbouring drug-taking youths. Much worse are the drug dealers, who take the drugs from one school to another, operating through complex syndicates that ensure their ‘clients’ are regularly served.

That all this is happening, under the veneer of normalcy, is shocking and calls for a severe review. However, it is not clear who will call the review since neither the parents, nor the teachers are willing to acknowledge the extent of the crisis. It seems everyone is only watching.

school@observer.ug

The members of Uganda Muslim Teachers Association (UMTA) have resolved to build a state-of-the-art teachers’ resource centre to help improve their capacity as teachers and school managers.

According to UMTA board chairman Hajji Bruhan Mugerwa, the centre is also expected to support teachers, and religious and civic leaders in the eastern Africa region. Mugerwa, who doubles as head teacher Kawempe SS, explained that the proposed centre would become a major attraction for learning.

“The facility will be a congenial atmosphere with excellent facilities, which enhances sharing experiences and cross-cultural discussion on education, teacher development and community engagements,” he said.

He explained that this was in line with the UMTA vision of turning Muslim teachers, schools and organizations into change agents. The resolution came at the close of the UMTA two-day education convention at Hotel Africana recently, under the theme, increasing our impact on quality education and teachers’ welfare.

The convention, which is the 27th, started with their annual general meeting, and attracted over 600 participants from academia, the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council, National Curriculum Development Centre and banks.

Representing the prime minister, gender, labour and social development minister Wilson Muruuli Mukasa hailed the teachers for their initiative, as they look to raise money from their own resources to build the centre. He pledged undisclosed support to the UMTA.

nambafusafinah@gmail.com

As if he had known about the impending cabinet appointment, the designate minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Elioda Tumwesigye, last week graced Kampala International University’s (KIU) 14th graduation, as chief guest.

In his remarks, Dr Tumwesigye urged the graduands to consider postgraduate studies, following their current milestone.

“Don’t be comfortable with the degree you have got. Think loudly and expand your skills. If you are in medicine, I want to reassure you of employment,” said Dr Tumwesigye, the outgoing health minister.

He added that the government was in the process of attracting an investor to put up a major international hospital in Lubowa, along Entebbe road, and this would provide jobs, including those of engineers and doctors.

“No KIU students should be taking alcohol. These are the things that will kill you,” Tumwesigye urged.

The vice chancellor, Dr Mouhamad Mpezamihigo, who was presiding at his first ceremony as university head, was cautionary in his speech.

“Guard your lives and don’t be reckless in whatever you do. Guard against the vice of corruption and please do exercise fairness in the way you deal with others for the good of everyone including yourself,” Mpezamihigo said.

The graduation ceremony saw 900 graduands receive degrees, diplomas and certificates. Of these, 188 received the bachelor of Medicine and Surgery, the largest class of doctors graduating at any university in the land.

However, the loudest cheer was reserved for Cissy Kulabako, a graduate of the Bachelor of International Business Administration, who emerged with a cumulative grade point average of 4.7, to be labeled the overall best student.

Others of note were David Wafula (Public Administration), Benson S Opio (Public Administration), Gabriel Mungan (Economics and Applied Statistics), Ivan Mubiru (Social Work and Social Administration), Martin Luther Orban (Computer Science) and Shamina Kiriswa (Business Administration), who all received first-class undergraduate degrees.

Speaking on behalf of the directors, the chairman of board of trustees, Hajji Hassan Basajjabalaba said the university would make some eye-popping improvements over time.

He revealed that KIU would invest in improved training of health sciences students, with new laboratories at Ishaka as well as setting up state-of the-art e-learning platforms. He added that the construction of the Nairobi campus, Dar-es-Salaam teaching hospital, pharmacy laboratories and additional hostels in Ishaka would soon be completed.

For his part, the chancellor, Prof John Sebuwufu, tasked the graduands to challenge themselves to leave a positive mark in the world of work.

alitwaha9@gmail.com

James Manzi, a second-year student of economics and statistics at Makerere University, is still excited about his feat.

He will be traveling to China in August, after winning a competition set by Makerere’s Confucius Institute, recently. To get to this level, 21-year old Manzi beat 37 others in various levels. He came fifth in a written exam, before winning a poetry recitation, and a cultural dance competition as well as an oral exam on Chinese current affairs.

Manzi said he loves Chinese dress, food, culture and was inspired after getting struck on seeing many banners by Chinese companies that dot several construction sites in Kampala.

“I dream [of mastering the] Chinese language and also look forward to joining Tianjin University but before that, I would like to tour China and experience its marvels like the Great Wall of China,” he said.

“My father is a businessman … whenever he comes backs home, he speaks of his language barrier problems with Chinese colleagues. Whenever I visited him at his place of work, I would witness them communicating, using sign language and so my interest was born.”

The competition was held for students of Confucius Institute at Makerere University under the theme, Dreams Enlighten the Future. The country winners, drawn from across Africa, will take part in a subsequent competition at Tianjin University in August. The winners at Tianjin will get scholarships for further study at this university.

The competitors were tested in their skills of the Chinese language, knowledge of China, Chinese cultural skills, and comprehensive abilities.

The vice president of China Association of Africa Studies, Prof Hong Yong Hong, who also chaired the panel of judges, said the competition was very stiff and appreciated the efforts of the Confucius Institute in training and developing the students to master Chinese language and culture.

“The show made me a little bit homesick ... [the] performance was very dramatic and charming,” he remarked.

Prof Yong Hong said the competition would continue to brigde ties between Uganda and China. The Confucius Institute is named after one of China’s renowned philosophers and offers a certificate and a diploma in the Chinese language at Makerere.

ssekandi@observer.ug

In 2014, BILL KAHIRIMBANYI BEKUNDA, 41, started a campaign on social media against underage drinking.

As a former addict, Bekunda is using his Facebook page Stop Underage Drinking Uganda (SUDU), as a catalyst for behavioural change in schools and institutions of higher learning as Yudaya Nangonzi writes.

When Bekunda completed primary school, his parents thought a boarding school would better keep their son occupied with studies. All they wanted was the best school. He was taken to St Mary’s College Kisubi (SMACK) in 1991, a Catholic Church-founded school. For any student who went to this school, discipline was supposed to be the order of the day.

“I was a very good boy, by the way. In first term, I was third in class,” Bekunda recalls. “[But] the madness came while in senior two and my performance declined. The first day to drink alcohol was the happiest day in my life. I was a very reserved person but I started becoming stubborn, doing all sorts of things.”

DRINK AGAIN

Every Monday, the first thought on his mind was a weekend so that he could escape with his friends to go and drink again. According to Bekunda, SMACK then had no perimeter wall, which made it easier for students to move to the nearest local bars.

“Whenever one didn’t have money, you would just exchange your sugar or other stuff for sachets of waragi at the bar,” says this proud married father of three, who are also pushing the campaign at their schools.

To some extent, his parents were aware of what he was doing in school but could not help. He would drink openly while at home, argue them out, and defy whatever they said because all he cared about was drinking.

When he got to senior four, he was allowed to sit his exams despite his transgressions, but ordered not to return to the school for senior five. And his S4 results speak for themselves. “It was so bad and I don’t think I want to share it here. I regret it!” he says.

When you meet Bekunda today, he says he is a changed man and has vowed never to touch booze for the rest of his life. This resolution finally came to fruition in 2014.

Since then, he has held anti-underage drinking campaigns in schools such as Bishop Cipriano Kihangire SS in Luzira, Loving Hearts Helping Hands PS in Kabale district and Makerere University, among others. While the government puts the underage at 18, Bekunda says his campaign target all people below 25 years.

EDUCATIVE CAMPAIGN

Collins Mbulakyalo, a senior-five student at Bishop Cipriano Kihangire, who attended one of Bekunda’s sensitisation campaigns last term, described it as ‘very educative.’

Mbulakyalo told The Observer that he was surprised that Bekunda disclosed to the school gathering that he started drinking at the age of 14, under peer influence and was soon taking all types of alcohol.

“His story was very touching. I got to know how people struggle to recover from the addiction. Most students thought it was easy to drink and feel nice and get out of it easily,” Mbulakyalo says. He adds that parents that have children in the same condition should help them fight the urge instead of abandoning them.

Although Bekunda did all sorts of things to the extent of his father giving up on him, his mother was always by his side. When Bekunda joined the university, she sent him to his uncles in Ukraine and Germany, but the addiction worsened because of the free lifestyle that he was exposed to.

Even when he returned to Uganda, she paid his alcohol debts in bars around Bukoto where he stayed, before finally paying for him to join Serenity rehabilitation centre then in Nsambya.

To Bekunda, alcohol is worse than drugs like cocaine and heroin, thus the need to spread the campaign so fast among the underage. Grace Driciru Atibuni, the deputy head teacher in charge of Administration at Bishop Cipriano Kihangire SS, says the way Bekunda packaged his life story impacted well on the students.

“It was a very good talk to the students. It is not easy to tell students that underage drinking is not good when they live in communities of people who booze,” Atibuni says. “But if you are using a real-life story, it creates more impact.”

She requested Bekunda to make the talks more frequent, at least thrice in a term. Atibuni also called for clustering of students according to their age brackets, pictures and videos during the campaign talks.

Atibuni adds that, as a result of the talk, the school has not caught any students with alcohol and drugs since 2012, when three S3 students were expelled after they were found with waragi in mineral water bottles in 2012. The school policy does not allow a student any chance of negotiations once they are found drunk.

BE ALERT

Bekunda urges parents and teachers to step up efforts on sensitising their children about the dangers of underage drinking and thorough check-ups for those in boarding schools.

“In our days, they used not to check much and you would easily smuggle alcohol or drugs in the school. This should not continue, by emphasizing routine checks in schools,” he says.

According to Bekunda, some students today soak bread in alcohol; dry and repackage it, dilute quencher with waragi, make big holes in bread and pile sachets inside.

“Of late, I have learnt that children get oranges and inject them with alcohol so that they are not caught easily. For girls, they are using tampons and the alcohol goes straight to the blood streams. Boys do the same but through their behind,” he explains, adding that it is everyone’s role to fight underage drinking.

Bekunda appealed to the education ministry to include issues of substance abuse in the various curricula as he looks forward to officially launch the campaign in three-month’s time.

BISHOP CIPRIANO KIHANGIRE STUDENTS SPEAK

Rebecca Akony, S3 (18)
I advise my fellow teenagers not to accept anyone to influence them in taking alcohol and drugs because it can ruin our studies.

Collins Mbulakyalo, S5 (16)
If you are drinking, just know you are not the cool guy. Fellow students do the right things with the right people and those who do otherwise will pick from there.

Moses Makmot, S3 (15)
The underage drinking campaign is so helpful for school children. I know among us there are students who were taking alcohol but since they talked to us, I am sure it must have touched their lives. We should learn not do things because other people are doing them.

Justina Nandutu, S5 (17)
I have tasted alcohol once and never did it again. I realised that if you continue testing all the time, you will drink alcohol forever. In school, you will find children with different characters but avoid peer influence and know what took you school.

Jackline Nakiseru, S5 (18)
Taking alcohol is not good at all. It will be so nice if the campaign talk is organised again at school.

nangonzi@observer.ug