In Iganga district, two pupils: John Isabirye Obbo from Busuyi Next Primary School and Wakadala Ogule Shaban (not real names) from Namungalwe Community Primary School, have vastly different experiences that highlight the complexities of education in the Busoga sub region.
Once considered the academic powerhouse of Busoga, Iganga is home to renowned schools like Buckley High School, Saint Patrick Kigulu Girls, Iganga Boys, and Iganga SS, among others which consistently produce excellent academic results.
Isabirye Obbo’s school is well-supported by enlightened parents and alumni who prioritize education, providing a conducive learning environment and nutritious meals, including porridge, for many pupils.
His parents who are sugar cane growers, ensure he has all the necessary scholastic materials, such as pens, books, pencils, a mathematical set, shoes, and a school uniform. They make sure their son gets all the basic necessities, enabling him to focus on his studies.
In an obvious discrepancy, Namungalwe Community School faces numerous challenges, with many parents believing that feeding children at school makes them lazy and less focused.
They claim that during their time, they walked long distances without shoes or lunch and still succeeded in life. Wakadala Ogule often attends school without breakfast or lunch, sometimes searching for fallen sugar cane or cassava leftovers to satisfy his hunger.
He walks to school nearly barefooted because even the plastic shoes locally known as ‘bidco’ he uses are not strong enough to last long. This disparity raises questions about priorities and resource allocation.
While some parents claim poverty and inability to afford basic necessities for their children, they are often seen enjoying alcohol and luxury foods in trading centers.
For instance, in the trading centers dotted everywhere, these parents can often be found enjoying a bottle or more of alcohol, including beer, with friends accompanied by bites of chicken or beef.
This contradiction highlights the need to address the root causes of educational disparities in Iganga district.
Boys School Dropout
A worrying trend has emerged in Iganga district, where more boys are dropping out of school than girls, marking a sharp departure from the long-held notion that girls were more likely to discontinue their education.
This reversal is not surprising given the societal dynamics in Iganga,Busoga ad Uganda at large. The girl child is often subject to strict rules and expectations while the boy child is given more freedom sometimes to the point of neglect.
This lack of guidance and oversight can lead to negative outcomes such as increased involvement in crime, substance abuse and other problematic behaviors.
According to the Iganga District Education Officer (DEO), Baker Kasadakawo, boys are engaging in petty businesses, casual labor, and other activities that expose them to negative influences.
Kasadakawo attributes this trend to the lack of supportive learning environments and negative attitudes towards education among some parents and guardians. With a total of 75,000 learners in Universal Primary Education (UPE) schools, this trend is a cause for concern.
The DEO notes that many parents are disillusioned with the education system, citing the struggles of educated children who fail to secure formal employment and instead resort to menial jobs like boda-boda motorcycle business.
“…this trend warrants attention and action to understand the underlying causes and mitigate its impact on the boys’ future and the development of the community and district…”, remarks Baker Kasadakawo.
Some parents get even more irked that their educated children resort to boda-boda motorcycle business being done by school dropouts who did not waste their parents’ money.
Kasadakawo counters this mindset, emphasizing the importance of equipping learners with practical skills and knowledge that can be applied in real-life situations.
He observes that many parents and guardians have very negative and low attitudes towards education, especially after toiling for years to fund their children’s education who graduate and sit at home without any formal employment.
To such parents, the DEO says gone are the days when holders of degrees and graduates from colleges and universities would speak very good English language while quoting lines from celebrated western playwrights and philosophers with accuracy and sense of awe.
New Curriculum Sets In
In light of these challenges, the introduction of a new competence-based curriculum is seen as a positive step. The curriculum focuses on critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, and social-emotional skills, aiming to equip learners with the ability to fend for themselves.
Baker Kasadakawo praises the Ministry of Education and Sports, led by Hon. Janet Kataha Museveni, for developing this new curriculum.
He says with the new curriculum, a student leaves school while knowing how to fend for themselves, manage a piggery project, a poultry farm, or how to tender a dairy cow, as well as how to make liquid soap and detergents that can earn them a living even while still studying.
He welcomes the new curriculum’s emphasis on practical skills noting that while students of Literature in English and History may excel in theoretical knowledge, they often lack hands-on skills.
Fast forward, Kasadakawo also emphasizes the need for parental involvement, urging parents to play their roles in supporting their children’s education.
He laments the tendency of parents to criticize teachers and headteachers only when examination results are poor, rather than being actively engaged throughout the year.
The DEO regrets that most parents appear at schools only when exams results are out and many of them come out with full energy and anger ready to crucify the teachers.
To address these issues, he says the education department has increased the number of school inspectors in sub-counties, facilitating closer supervision and inspection.
Kasadakawo also highlights the importance of sensitizing parents and guardians during PTA annual meetings, an initiative that is gaining support.
He notes that there are now inspectors of schools in all the sub-counties, well-facilitated with funds from the ministry, enabling them to conduct closer and more regular supervision and inspection than ever before.
The DEO’s concerns about the emergence of “academic thugs” in Uganda and Africa are echoed by some commentators. These individuals possess impressive academic credentials but lack ethics and integrity, prioritizing personal gain and material wealth over the well-being of others.
Kasadakawo rhetorically asks, “…are we merely churning out academic thugs who prioritize personal gain over the greater good or are we cultivating responsible, ethical, and responsible leaders who will drive positive change in our communities and country…”
Iganga district has 99 UPE schools and 350 privately run primary schools. There are 9 government secondary schools in line with the Ministry of Education and Sports policy that there should be at least one secondary school in each sub-county.
Only Kidago sub-county, newly carved from the greater Namabale, is yet to get a secondary school of its own.
According to Kasadakawo, enrollment numbers have shifted, with girls now representing over 60% of pupils and students in the district.
As Iganga district grapples with these challenges, it is clear that addressing the root causes of educational disparities and promoting a supportive learning environment will require a collaborative effort from all stakeholders, including parents, teachers, and the government.
The Role of Old Students in Supporting Schools.
The DEO also highlights the importance of old students in supporting their former schools. He cites examples of Buckley High School, Iganga SS, St Patrick Kigulu Girls, Bishop Willis Demonstration School and Iganga Boys School which have vibrant networks of old students who are well-laced in strategic public and private sectors within and outside Uganda.
These old students, Kasadakawo says have formed platforms to discuss and raise funds to support their former schools. He adds that the support enables these schools hire consultants to enhance the teaching skills of their teachers and provide them with exposure to the outside world.
The old students’ associations of these schools have made a huge contribution to the development of their alma matter. They have contributed towards the construction or renovation of essential infrastructures including multipurpose halls, libraries and dormitories.
These projects continue to enhance the learning environment and provide pupils and students with better facilities to support their academic and personal growth.
The DEO notes that these historical schools situated at the CMS along the Iganga-Jinja highway with their old students provide a model of engagement and support that other schools in the region should potentially replicate to improve on their own performances.
Microcosm of A Larger Issue.
According to pundits, the situation in Iganga where sugar cane growers struggle to afford sugar for their children’s porridge serves as a microcosm of the broader challenges faced by Busoga sub region dubbed the second headquarters of poverty in the country.
As the home of Uganda’s sugar industry, Busoga grapples with the paradox of sugar cane abundance and sugar scarcity on the tables of its children. This phenomenon underscores the need for a more in depth understanding of the complex relationships between industry, economy and social welfare in the sub region of close to 5 million people.
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