MUBENDE – Eight unlicensed schools have been closed in Mubende district, in a crackdown led by the Resident District Commissioner Mary Nyakwera Baguma. Six teachers were also arrested.
The closed schools are; Central Parents Primary School, God’s Care Nursery and Primary School, London Gate Children Academy, Omega primary school, Samaritan heart junior school, Clever Land Secondary School and St Steven Church of Uganda Junior School, all in Kitenga Sub County.
Baguma says the district education authorities informed her that the schools had ignored all written notices and warnings issued to their proprietors to adhere to the minimum guidelines issued by the Ministry of Education and Sports.
Mubende Senior Inspector of Schools Kasim Balinda says most of the closed schools lack qualified teachers and were operating in dilapidated structures, putting the lives of pupils and teachers at risk.
Balinda notes that some other schools had illegally changed the early child development licenses granted to them, into boarding sections.
“To have children sleeping at school without being approved by the ministry is terrible. Since this year began, we have seen several schools in a number of districts catching fire and when you look at them they are ones operating illegal boarding sections or those which averted from the set requirements,” adds Balinda.
Baguma says she is determined to move to all sub-counties to ensure all illegal schools are closed and have the proprietors arrested.
