By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
NATIONAL
Since yesterday, streets in Kampala and other parts of the country have been bustling with different shades of uniform as students reported back to school for the second term of the academic year 2022 . However, it is a habit by some schools that as some students are arriving, others are heading back home over school tuitions.
Despite government’s policy especially in public schools not to turn away learners over school tuitions, some school proprietors and administrators both in private and public schools have not heeded to the government’s call but still send away learners without proof of payment of full school fees and other requirements on their first day of reporting to schools.
According to the Uganda’s popular opposition political party, Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), turning away of students without full tuition is cruel and barbaric especially at a time when parents and guardians are still recovering from the effects of COVID lockdown.
“Requiring full payments from cash stricken parents at this time is not only inhuman in these circumstances but also prohibitive”, says FDC
The FDC suggests that schools should have school fees payment plans allowing parents and guardians to split their tuition into equal monthly payments.
“Parents and guardians should be afforded a whole term payment schedule.” FDC suggests
Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, the party spokesperson also the Kira municipality MP has appealed to school proprietors and administrators not to turn away learners who are not in position to pay school fees.
“We appeal to school proprietors and managements not to turn away children who are unable to pay school fees and to meet other requirements,” said Ssemujju
He was speaking to journalists at the FDC weekly press briefing held at Party Headquarters in Najjanankumbi Kampala on Monday.
During the presser, FDC also demanded that government relaxes on requirements imposed on schools and learners to allow students with outstanding fee to register for National Exams.
“Candidates must be allowed to sit for UNEB including those who have not yet paid registration fee,”
In Uganda, students in candidate classes that is to say Primary Seven, Senior Four, and Senior Six are required to pay a specified fee to register to sit for National Exams. Learners in public schools are paid by government while learners in private schools pay for themselves registration fee.
According to the Uganda National Examanitions Board (UNEB) set fees, each school is slated to pay Sh34,000 for each PLE candidate, Sh164,000 for UCE students, and Sh186,000 for UACE candidates to allow them sit for this year’s national exams
The UNEB Executive Director, Dan Odongo says that the board also set Sh68,000 as a late registration fee for each PLE candidate and an additional Sh15,000 and Sh18,000 for each UCE and UACE candidate in private schools, respectively.
In addition, FDC demands that UNEB should allow Senior Six candidates without valid National Identification Cards to register for their UACE exams
“Government should if necessary visit all schools to register students who missed registering for National IDs in the previous registration exercises”, said FDC
However, UNEB has since dismissed reports that possessing a valid National Identity Card or parents National ID was a requirement for students registering to sit for their UACE exams this year.
According to UNEB, the requrement for Parents National Identification Card to register candidates does not apply to those who will sit this year.
“This is therefore to allay the fears of candidates, parents, guardians and school administrators that no one will be disqualified from registering for the 2022 exams because of a National Identity Card. The normal registration process is currently underway until May 31,” Odongo said.
The registration exercise for National exams started in February this year and will end on May 31 according to UNEB. The board also set June 30 as date for late registration which attracts surcharges on candidates.
In related news, Valley College School Director, Mubehamwe Jonan has asked parents and guardians to pay school fees in parts due to many challenges to allow their children basic education.
Speaking to Parrots UG on the school’s opening day for second term, the Headteacher Ms.Kabeizi Doreen encouraged teachers to do the work they are required to do one way of ensuring academic proficiency to learners.
