Grapevine

Govt officials stunned by school conditions in Kamuli

Government officials overseeing the national school enrollment headcount were left shocked by the teaching and learning conditions in Kamuli District.

The exercise, which aims to verify enrollment and collect data entered by schools through the Education Management Information System (EMIS) for access to Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Universal Secondary Education (USE) funds, was conducted in Kamuli District on Wednesday and will run until August 30.

In July 2022, the Ministry of Education initiated a programme mandating all schools at every educational level to enroll in EMIS for various purposes, including establishing a baseline for student verification, aiding in educational planning, and managing assessments.

However, across all 12 primary schools—Nawanyago, Buphadengo, Wankole, Nawansaso, Buwala, Busandha, Lulyambuzi, Bulopa, Nalango, Butende, Wansale, and Buwoya—the enrollment of girls was alarmingly low, a trend that reversed in secondary schools like Kamuli Girls College, Bulopa SS, and Nalango SS.

At Buwala and Busandha Primary Schools, which have enrollments of 1,002 and 1,327 pupils respectively, officials were shocked to discover they are staffed by only 11 and 12 teachers, respectively.