By URN
Education authorities in the Bunyoro sub-region are bothered by the overwhelming numbers of pupils who have turned up for lessons especially in government-aided primary schools.
Several schools in the Bunyoro sub-region are currently struggling to accommodate the overwhelming numbers of pupils that have turned up for lessons.
At many of the schools, some children are forced to learn under trees due to congestion and lack of classroom blocks.
At Buhirigi primary school situated in Bombo Sub County in Hoima, there are 1,190 learners from P.1 to P.7 that have so far reported for this academic term. The school in 2020, before the closure of schools due to COVID-19 had 845 pupils from P.1 to P.7.
The school only has seven classrooms and thirteen teachers that can’t effectively handle the overwhelming number of pupils.
Joab Kiiza, the head teacher says the numbers are overwhelming and have stretched the meagre resources including the seven classrooms and four toilet facilities they have. He fears that the number could even double since many other pupils are still reporting.
The situation is not different at Kasenyi-Lyato primary school in Buseruka sub-county in Hoima, where a total of 1,079 pupils have so far reported at the school this term, exerting pressure on the seven classrooms and seven teachers available at the school.
Lydia Kusiima, the school headteacher explains that before the closure of schools in 2020, they only had 916 pupils but they were shocked to see the numbers going high this term.
She has appealed to the government to allocate more money, recruit and deploy more teachers at the school to help rescue the situation.
Johnson Kusiima Baingana, the Hoima City senior Inspector of schools says they have notified the line ministry about the overwhelming number of pupils especially in government schools adding that they are yet to get a feedback from the education ministry.
