By Everest Mukiibi
Kitgum district education department has presented 20 primary community schools to the Ministry of Education and Sports for coding so as to receive government support.
The Acting Kitgum District Education Officer, Fred Owot says the schools had previously applied for coding in vain. The primary schools include Oget in Labongo Akwang Sub County, Child Care in Labongo Amida Sub County, Lelamur and Lanyalaka in Labongo Layamo Sub County; and St. Daniel Comboni and Ogwapoke in Mucwini Sub County.
Others are Kiteleng, Gen. Tito Okello Lutwa and St. Peter’s Gilili in Namukora; Lamogi Parents in Lagoro; Kamanding, Latodore and Rackoko in Orom Sub County Rackoko-Wicere in Omiya Anyima Sub County and Lalala in Kitgum Matidi Sub County amidst others.
Owot says that the primary schools mainly started by faith-based institutions, parents and the community have been grappling with numerous challenges including lack of infrastructures, teachers and resources for their day today operations.
The Omiya Anyima Sub County LC III Chairperson, Julius Peter Otto reveals that the majority of the schools were started in the early 90s to help pupils within their localities to attend pre-primary classes.
Lilly Atim, a parent in Mucwini Sub County says that for years community schools have operated without government grants and majorly relied on support from parents and partners. She, however, says that the schools find lots of challenges because of the resistance from parents towards contributing funds to operate the schools.
Richard Okello Ongom, a parent of Rackoko-Wicere Primary School in Melong parish, Omiya Anyima Sub County faults the government for the delayed takeover of the school, which has left more than 500 children of school-going age deprived of attending pre-primary classes due to lack of schools in the parish.
According to Ongom, leaving community schools un-coded is contrary to the government’s policy to provide a school in each parish.
Kitgum Chief Administrative Officer, Joel Musisi, says that the district council approved the list of the schools for coding before it was submitted to the Ministry of Education and Sports.
According to Musisi, coding the schools will reduce the long-distance that learners commute each day to access education.
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