By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
REGIONAL
A Roman Catholic Church founded school in Mbarara city has been closed and students indifinetely suspended after a strike demanding for immediate transfer of the Headteacher.
St. Joseph’s Vocational SS, popularly known as JOVOC located in Nsikye Nyamitanga Hill, just an arm’s distance take from Mbarara Catholic Archdiocese headquarters was on Saturday temporarily closed following a strike by students against what they called poor administrative rules.
The highly charged students accuse the school Headteacher Rev. Fr. Godwin Muhangi and his administration of not permitting them to go to Support their school Soccer Team in the ongoing Copa Coca Cola tournament at Kakyeka Stadium.
Yesterday, JOVOC was supposed to play against Nyamitanga SSS at Kakyeka but the match was allegedly called off.
When students questioned the priest why their game was not played he decieved them that the match playground had been changed to Makenke army barracks playgrounds.
Hungry to cheer up their Team, sections of students trekked to Makenke but to their dismay, there was no ongoing match for the said teams.
This made students’ emotions run high and returned to school read to canivore the priest. The strike ensued attracting other students who had stayed at school for revisions.
Students turned unruly holding placards demanding for the immediate transfer of Fr. Muhangi before situation got out of hands.
Armed with placards and chanting their songs of condemnations, they marched to the Archdiocese to file their demands to the Archbishop – Lambert Bainomugisha.
At the Archbishop’s house, they were intercepted by their former Headteacher Rev Fr. Severinus Ndugwa who attempted to calm them in vain.
Further reports indicated that Fr. Muhangi and his administration had resolved to suspend students in Senior Two, but other students disagreed with management and demanded to either transfer Muhangi lest they be suspended as a whole.
A credible source at the diocese has told Parrots UG that the Archbishop failed to control the highly charged students and the school was temporarily closed on his orders, all students suspended after foresighting dangers that may result of the aggrieved students.
The source intimidated to this publication that Fr. Muhangi’s period of service at the Diocesean mighty boy’s school has been faced with strong resentments from both staff and students.
