By Tracy Akoragye,
NATIONAL
The deputy speaker of parliament Rt. Hon. Thomas Bangirana Tayebwa has been told to step back, look at a bigger picture, look within and take his complaints seriously when lamenting about high school fees charged by schools in the country.
This stern warning was given by the president of the Uganda Young Democrats (UYD) also the acting DP spokesperson, Ismail Kiirya during their party media briefing on Tuesday 13 FE, 2024, at City House Kampala.
On Wednesday 7th of February 2024, Tayebwa ordered to punish schools which charge exorbitant fees from parents.
However, the Kiirya reminded him that the government is a barking toothless dog which seldomly bite because there is no any law prohibiting schools to increase or reduce on school fees charged to parents.
Kiirya said both government and private schools are extorting from already financially struggling parents and guardians noting that just speaking about hiking fees has no impact. He called for a policy to regulate fees in schools and education institutions.
“We need a law that regulates school fees Mr. Speaker Sir, let those charging exorbitantly come out and explain what do they charge for,?” said Ismail.
According to Kiirya, regulating schools fees is a nightmare to the government which does not have any will to enforce the same because many of the schools that are too extorting to parents are owned by big bellies men and women in the government , the majority directly working in the ministry of education and sports.
He said young democrats will petition the office of the Speaker to bring maximum fees payment in schools.
“We need an amount which can not be charged above in all schools so that its on record other than just speaking about it and leave it there,” Kiirya explained.
Since the beginning of the new academic year, there have been circulars making rounds on social media purported to different schools with varying and exorbitant fee, costly school requirements which many have referred to as Commercialization of the education system in Uganda.
Among the circulars that washed social media include for Childcare Nursery and Primary School in Kabale district which is demanding for a chicken worth 20,000 Ugandan shillings from each new entrant in the school without any detailed explanation on reasons for requesting for a hen from learners. Also, Greenhill Primary School in Masulita was demanding for Shs3.4 million for a kindergarten pupil.
Other expensive school like Uganda Martyr’s Namugongo the fees required is 3,155,000 shillings, Nabisunsa Girls secondary school 3,000,000 shillings is required, King’s college Buddo 2,553,000 is its entrance fees, St. Mary’s kitende 3,300,000 shillings is the amount expected to be paid.
While other school like Jinja Secondary school 570,000 shillings is the amount required, lango college, lira City 600,000 shillings, Pride SS Mityana 650,000 shillings and Kaliro high 450,000 shillings.
DP is concerned about inequalities in education as some are requiring over one million shillings for fees while others are requiring below one million and yet they all offer relatively the same education skills.
This is what we call African apartheid.