Bugiri district chairman Malijhan Azalwa says they are still unable to get all children of school-going age into schools.
Speaking at the official opening of Bugodo Secondary School in Bugiri recently, Azalwa said most children join school at the age of 10.
“It is true that education in Bugiri district is still a challenge but we are trying our level best to see all children of age attending school,” Azalwa said. “During school hours, children are either in sand mines, playing board games or laying bricks.”
However, he added that the district was hunting for all parents who refuse to send their children to school as a way of improving education standards in the district.
Bugodo SS, a community school, was constructed by the Islamic Centre for Education and Research (ICER) with funding from Dar Al Ber Society, an Islamic charitable organisation based in the United Arab Emirates. A mosque, with a seating capacity of about 350 people, furnished with a public address system and solar power and toilets was also constructed at the school as part of the project.
Azalwa told The Observer that Bugodo SS is the first secondary school in Kapyanga sub-county, Bugodo village, Namukonge parish, in Bugiri district. However, the subcounty has quite some primary schools.
“This school has very beautiful structures but if there are no students, that means the buildings will be useless. So, we see this as an opportunity for the community and the district as a whole for more children to go to school,” he said, before pledging to support the school with Shs 500,000 to buy books for students and a bulldozer to level the school compound.
Imam Idi Kasozi, one of the ICER coordinators, said two schools have so far been constructed in Busoga sub-region this year, comprising of classrooms, head teacher’s office, library, laboratory and a main hall. ICER recently launched Kamuli Community primary school in Kamuli district.
“In the localities where the schools are constructed, people are really in need of such facilities,” Kasozi said. “We [ICER] also run Buziga Islamic Theological Institute and are in need of classrooms but we thought there was need to first extend support to other regions of the country.”
According to Kasozi, each project of a school and mosque when combined is estimated at Shs 400m. He said, in a memorandum of understanding signed with Bugodo SS, at least two students will be given full support every year.
Prince Kassim Nakibinge, who was the chief guest at the function, commended ICER and the Jeema president, Asuman Basalirwa, for mobilising residents who donated the land on which the two projects were set up.
“You welcomed the project with open hands; there is no donor who is going to bring their child to study from the school. Support the school with more students and keep the facilities in good shape,” Nakibinge told the residents.
He asked Kasozi to moblise more funds and set up a primary school on part of the school’s seven acres as residents are willing to offer more land up to 20 acres. Currently, Bugodo SS offers both a secular and Islamic curriculums with an enrolment of 43 students from senior one to senior five.
“We opened the school to the learners this term and we are pleased with the turnout so far. Next year, we shall admit more students for senior six and four classes because we were not prepared enough to take on candidate classes this year,” Hamisi Mark Mususwa, the head teacher Bugodo SS, told The Observer.
Students living within Kapyanga sub-county have been walking about 10km to study from nearby sub-counties like Bulesa, Iwemba, Buluguyi and Nabukalu.
nangonzi@observer.ug