Traditional schools to charge high fees

The selection was conducted at Uganda Manufacturers Association show ground, Lugogo in Kampala. PHOTO BY ABUBAKER LUBOWA 

In Summary

Namilyango College has set its fee at Shs990,000, Maria Goretti Katende is charging Shs850,000 while parents at Bweranyangi Girls SS will part with Shs980,000 to get a slot in Senior One. These schools continue to perform well in national examinations sending majority of their students on government sponsorship at public universities

A parent who wishes to take their children to any of the traditional schools for Senior One will have to part with not less than Shs700,000 next month. The school term opens on February 22.

A Daily Monitor random survey yesterday established, for instance, that a child who scored Aggregate 6 in last year’s Primary Leaving Examinations might miss out the admission to Senior One at St Henry’s College Kitovu if they don’t have Shs1.3 million as fees.

Namilyango College has set its fee at Shs990,000, Maria Goretti Katende is charging Shs850,000 while parents at Bweranyangi Girls SS will part with Shs980,000 to get a slot in Senior One. These schools continue to perform well in national examinations sending majority of their students on government sponsorship at public universities.

Mr David Turyamusima, the deputy head teacher in charge of academics at Bweranyangi Girls, said: “Our fees will be Shs980,000 but this has uniform inclusive.”
It was also established that schools implementing Universal Secondary Education are also charging their students although it is against government policy.

“We have to ask parents for some money but this is not receipted because it can bring us problems. But as you see, prices of goods has gone up and scholastic materials have not been spared either.
The money government pays is not enough and they expect these schools to run normally like those charging millions yet we go in the same market,” a source who attended a Senior One selection yesterday but preferred anonymity to speak freely, said.
The selection was conducted at Uganda Manufacturers Association show ground, Lugogo in Kampala.

Speaking at the 12th Education sector review last year, Mr Yusuf Nsubuga, the director basic education told educationists that it is difficult to stop schools from increasing tuition given that government’s contribution is limited not only in government-aided schools but also not there in private institutions.

He explained that it would be difficult for government to block parents who are willing to pay their money to ensure their children access facilities like swimming pools in their schools; facilities which government can’t afford. However, he added that control can be handled at institutions implementing government’s free education because by law, they are not supposed to levy any charges unless in agreement with the parents. “You can’t deny some people to increase fees when they want to put development and have the parent’s support. My take is that you can control everything in Universal Secondary Education (USE) schools but you can’t stop fees increment in non-USE and private schools,” Mr Nsubuga said then.

There were concerns of government-aided institutions which charge like private schools even when government pays their teachers, provides instructional materials and teachers’ houses.

But Mr Nsubuga explained that there is no school which government funds all their staff establishment and that the money the parents pay is used to plug the gaps like recruiting more teachers.

He was reacting to Mr Billy Okunyo, Apac District education officer’s query on government’s contribution of Shs47, 0000 per term for students in private USE schools, Shs41, 000 for USE students, Shs10, 000 for Universal Primary Education (UPE) compared to their counterparts in private and non-USE schools which charge close to Shs2million a year.

He reasoned that services provided in schools where they pay money commensurate to the market prices are much better and influence the performance of their candidates in final examinations.

Patience Ahimbisibwe, Paul Tajuba, Amos Ngwomoya & Lilian Namagembe