Kiryandongo bans PTA Teachers, orders closure of boarding sections in government schools

Kiryandongo: Kiryandongo District has banned Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) teachers from teaching in government-aided schools and ordered the closure of boarding sections in all government primary and secondary schools.

The directive was confirmed by the Kiryandongo District Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Anthlem Kyaligonza, during a community outreach organized by Kiryandongo Woman Member of Parliament Jovia Katusiime Mbabazi in Kija Parish, Kigumba Sub-county, Kibanda South.

Kyaligonza said the directive was circulated last week to headteachers and school management committees, instructing teachers who are not on the government payroll to leave government school premises.

“Stop charging until the Minister gives you a directive. Any teacher who is not on payroll should leave the school,” Kyaligonza said.

The CAO said Kigumba Church of Uganda Primary School is among the schools most affected, with 30 PTA teachers compared to only 19 teachers on the government payroll.

He said the district’s teacher staffing level currently stands at only 30 percent, meaning that only three out of every ten required teachers are available.

Kyaligonza said the district has no wage provision to recruit additional teachers and will write to the Ministry of Education and Sports to highlight the likely impact of the directive on school performance.

He also ordered government schools to close their boarding sections, arguing that boarding facilities cannot operate without charging parents, yet government has prohibited additional charges in UPE and USE schools.

“Parents have been called upon to stop paying school fees. Those who are willing to pay should take their children to private schools. No one should pay extra money because government has already paid for everything under UPE and USE,” he said.

The directive has triggered concern among parents and residents who fear that the shortage of teachers and closure of boarding sections could affect learners’ performance.

Okecha Michael, a resident of Kija, said parents are worried about how their children will perform in the forthcoming Primary Leaving Examinations because the number of teachers is inadequate compared to the number of learners.

He also said the school feeding programme, which has been supported by parents, has helped learners remain attentive in class.

Katusime Jane, a parent at C.O.U Primary School in Kigumba Town Council, said the boarding section has contributed to good performance among Primary Seven learners and fears its closure could affect examination results.

Tumusiime Moses, a parent at Kigumba Secondary School, said PTA teachers have been helping to fill staffing gaps, particularly in critical science subjects.

Samuel Mbabazi, the Assistant Resident District Commissioner for Kiryandongo, who has been spearheading the removal of PTA charges in government schools, defended the directive.

Mbabazi said school charges have prevented some children from accessing education, yet government introduced Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Universal Secondary Education (USE) to provide free education.

“Now every child will be able to go to school at an affordable price. Parents have to appreciate the government for the introduction of the free education system,” Mbabazi said.

However, a teacher who spoke on condition of anonymity warned that stopping PTA payments could negatively affect school performance.

The teacher said PTA contributions have been used to support additional teachers, examinations, extra lessons and feeding programmes.

Parents in some government schools have reportedly been contributing between 20,000 and 30,000 shillings per term towards PTA teachers and other school activities.

During the outreach, MP Jovia Katusiime Mbabazi urged parents to take greater responsibility for their children’s education and ensure they remain in school.

She also raised concern over teenage pregnancies and school dropout in the community and urged school managers to comply with government directives to ensure children access education.

The directive comes as schools prepare for the third term and Primary Leaving Examinations, amid concerns over the district’s teacher shortage and the potential impact of the changes on learners.

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