Overview:
Sophia Kabonesa, the Buliisa District Inspector of Schools (DIS) explains that most schools in the district are struggling to cope with a large number of learners. She attributes the shortage to teacher retirements, deaths, and non-replacement.
Buliisa District is battling a shortage of primary school teachers which is impacting the academic standards and performance of learners.
Statistics obtained from the district education department show that the district has 31 government-aided primary schools with only 375 teachers, well below the required 475 teachers, leaving a gap of 100 teachers.
Sophia Kabonesa, the Buliisa District Inspector of Schools (DIS) explains that most schools in the district are struggling to cope with a large number of learners. She attributes the shortage to teacher retirements, deaths, and non-replacement.
Kabonesa has appealed to the government to recruit and deploy more teachers in the district to better the performance of learners and also ensure that it sets a staffing ceiling that reflects the district’s pupil enrollment.
Kabonesa further reveals that of the 31 government-aided primary schools in the district, only four headteachers are substantively appointed while others are in acting capacities.
Levy Musinguzi Bahemuka, the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Buliisa admits that the district is battling with acute shortage of teachers. He says currently, the district has advertised for the recruitment of only 9 (Nine) teachers across the district due to limited provision for the wage bill.
Nicholas Aliganyira, the Chairperson Education Committee Buliisa district local government says the shortage of teachers has contributed to poor performance appealing to the government to immediately intervene and have more teachers recruited and deployed to fill the gaps.
Christine Biwaga, a parent at Ngwedu primary school in Ngwedu sub county wonders why the government has failed to deploy more teachers in the district for years yet lack of teachers is behind academic standards deteriorating.
Gilbert Mbidi, a resident and a parent at Butiaba Primary School says the few teachers in the district are overworked as they try to cover classes with no staff.
To improve and boost girls’ education in the district, TotalEnergies has offered scholarships to the 10 best female performers in the recently released Primary Leaving Examinations-PLE in the district.
The French oil giant operating the Tilenga oilfields will sponsor the education of the girls up to senior four.
Godfrey Lukwago, the Stakeholder Engagement Manager at TotalEnergies EP Uganda noted that the scholarship program is an affirmative action toward gender equality in education opportunities within the district of Buliisa and other areas of their operations.
He says the program is enrolled in collaboration with the district local government, community local leaders and selected schools in the Albertine Graben. He further explains that the girls will undertake their secondary level of Education from St.Andrea Kaahwa’s College in Hoima.
Joan Trinity, who completed at Ngwedu Primary school in Ngwedu sub-county and obtained aggregates 12 is one of the beneficiaries of the scholarships.
She says, the program will strengthen girls’ education in the district and expressed excitement after she was selected to benefit from the scholarship program, adding that her parents would have not afforded to take her for further education due to lack of school fees. She wants to become a doctor.
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