Dilapidated Schools Pose Risk to Learning in Lamwo – MP Kezekiya Raises Alarm.
BY OUR REOIRTER
Lamwo–The state of educational infrastructure in Lamwo District, northern Uganda, has deteriorated to a level that poses a significant risk to learning. Damaged classrooms and teachers’ houses have forced pupils to study under trees, a situation that was documented during a tour of affected schools by the Lamwo County Member of Parliament, Hon. Nyeko Johnson Kezekiya.
The most severely affected areas are Agoro, Madi-Opei, Paloga, and Padibe sub-counties. In several of the visited institutions, storms had removed the roofs of teachers’ houses and classroom blocks.
Impact on Accommodation and Instruction:
According to Akera Johnson Akella, Headteacher of Agoro Primary School, a storm destroyed a teachers’ housing block that previously accommodated five teachers, leaving them exposed to rain. For security reasons, six teachers are now sharing a single block originally intended for four.
The pupils who were using the damaged classrooms were displaced and are now studying under trees. During periods of rainfall, no lessons are conducted.
The infrastructural damage has exacerbated pre-existing challenges, contributing to poor academic performance and increased dropout rates. Female pupils are disproportionately affected.
Aciro Josephine, Senior Woman Teacher in Lamwo District, stated: “When we start from P1 you find that girls are many. Now when they go to upper classes you can find like in P6 we have now only one girl. In P7 we have four. The problem that we have here – we don’t have changing room for the girls.
A severe shortage of teaching staff was reported by Madi- Opei primary school headteacher.
Kilamono Peter, Headteacher of Madi-Opei Primary School, which has an enrollment of 630 pupils and seven teachers including the headteacher, reported: “I as the headteacher I’m supposed to teach five periods in a week. But I’m now teaching 18 periods in a week. That is too high. We do not have enough teachers and therefore teaching is not effective.”
Hon. Nyeko Johnson Kezekiya stated that “In Lamwo, rain now poses a risk to learning. Disease is worse in schools whose classrooms and teachers’ houses were damaged since last year. Now even the walls are weak. It doesn’t need only the roof now we need the whole staff. We would have saved a lot of money if there was earlier action.”
The continued use of damaged facilities, combined with teacher shortages and inadequate provision for female pupils, presents an ongoing impediment to effective education delivery in Lamwo District.
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