TESO COLLEGE, SOROTI CITY: President Yoweri Museveni has called for the construction of simple, cost effective structures at the institutions of learning that will leave room for the expansion and accommodate more students.
“Let us plan, prioritise and resolve the issue of constructing simple and cost effective schools that will cover everybody instead of building storied flats that are very expensive,” he said.
The President made his remarks yesterday while officiating at the Commissioning of the Alumni Library and E-Learning Centre at Teso College Aloet West Wing near Soroti City.
The Alumni of Teso College Aloet, the school that was founded in 1954, pooled resources and constructed the state of the art facility at the cost of over ug. Shs. 700 million.
President Museveni launched the construction of the Alumni Library on the 26th July 2015 and commissioned the structure yesterday the 26th March 2022.
The President who thanked the Alumni of Teso College Aloet for their initiative observed that the old schools though founded along denominational lines and later taken over by the government, played a big role in producing resourceful persons as was seen by the alumni present at the function.
“Modern Education was initially spearheaded by churches supported by colonial governments like Buddo, Kisubi, Mwiri and Nyakasura were all church founded. In the East there was St. Peters Tororo, Ngora High School and others,” he said.
The President further gave an account of the old schools that were founded by government and were very few like Teso College Aloet, Sir Samuel Baker, Ntare and Butolere.
He pointed out the NRM strategy of constructing a secondary school at every sub-county and added that the old schools that played a big role in the education sector had to be refurbished.
“Along the way we saw that old schools needed attention one of them was Masaba SSS,” he said.
President Museveni said following the fund raising drive organized by the management of Masaba SSS he noted that the rehabilitation exercise would not go far and proposed to develop a program that would see the old schools in the country rehabilitated and expanded at the cost of ug. Shs. 500 million that was required at Masaba SSS.
He however attributed the delay of the rehabilitation of the old schools to poor planning by the Commissioners in the Education Ministry who preferred to build expensive storied structures.
He therefore called on all concerned to plan for simple structures that can be spread all over the country and are cost effective.
The President later pledged to provide computers to the Alumni library of Teso College Aloet.
Awards were given to some of the Alumni of Teso College Aloet for their distinguished service to the nation and among them the recipients was the PPS to the President Dr. Kenneth Omona.
The Vice President Hon. Jessica Alupo pointed out that it was during her time of stewardship in the Education and Sports Ministry that President Museveni mooted the idea of refurbishing old schools in the country and Teso College Aloet was one of the beneficiaries.
She appreciated Mrs. Janet Museveni for continuing with the project of building the human resource by constructing more schools in the country.
The Minister of Education and Sports Mrs. Janet Museveni in her message presented by the State Minister for Sports Hon Dennis Obua thanked the President for the construction of 117 seed secondary schools spread throughout the country and of which seven are in Teso sib-region.
She also thanked President Museveni for appointing the daughter of the soil Rtd. Maj. Jessica Alupo as the Vice President and congratulated the Rt. Hon. Anita Among for her appointment as the new Speaker of Parliament.
The First Lady also extended her condolences to the family members of Parliament and to all people of Uganda upon the demise of the Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah.
“We join the people of Uganda in mourning the late Oulanyah,” she said.
The President of Teso College Aloet Alumni Professor Godfrey Akileng thanked President Museveni for honoring their invitation adding that the Alumni was founded in 2014 and has since supported the college in various areas including the construction of the Alumni library.
He said the College has produced prominent people now serving in the government that include the Rt. Hon. Deputy Prime Minister Moses Ali, the PPS to the President Dr. Kenneth Omona Medical Doctors, Military personnel, the former Commissioner General Uganda revenue Authority Besweri Akabwai,Proffessor Pius Okong, the Secretary to the treasury Mr. Ocailap among many others.
The Head Teacher of the School West Wing Mr. Opasso Julius thanked President Museveni for supporting Teso College Aloet and conveyed his appreciation to the Alumni of teso College Aloet for the great support they continue to offer to the College.
Present was the newly elected Speaker of Parliament the Rt. Hon. Anita Among.
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