MUKONO – Mukono Municipality Member of Parliament Betty Nambooze has criticised Acting Minister for Education and Sports Dr. John Chrysostom Muyingo over what she describes as inconsistent handling of crises in schools, following the temporary closure of King David Junior School in Ndejje after a fatal road crash that claimed 21 lives.
The criticism follows the tragic accident in Kapchorwa District involving a school trip from King David Junior School, in which 21 people, including pupils, lost their lives.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, the Ministry of Education suspended school trips nationwide as investigations into the crash commenced. Shortly afterwards, the Resident District Commissioner for Wakiso, Simon Peter Mawerere, announced the temporary closure of King David Junior School for about two weeks following a closed-door meeting with parents.
Nambooze questioned the decision to close the school, arguing that authorities often resort to drastic measures when crises occur in some institutions while applying different standards to others.
She said the response by the acting minister appeared “idealistic” and inconsistent, alleging that schools associated with him have previously experienced serious incidents, including sudden deaths of learners, without attracting similar directives to suspend operations or close the institutions.
According to the legislator, government officials should adopt uniform standards in handling school emergencies rather than making decisions that appear selective.
Nambooze further argued that the ministry should focus on strengthening school safety systems, improving oversight and providing psychosocial support to affected learners and families instead of rushing to close schools whenever tragedies occur.
Dr. Muyingo, who also owns Seeta High Schools, has in the past faced public scrutiny following incidents involving learners at the institutions. However, Nambooze contends that such incidents did not result in comparable actions by education authorities.
Efforts to obtain a response from Dr. Muyingo regarding Nambooze’s allegations were unsuccessful by press time.
Meanwhile, several parents whose children attend King David Junior School defended the temporary closure, saying it was necessary to allow grieving families and surviving learners time to recover from the trauma.
They argued that the break would enable parents to provide emotional support to their children while the school management and relevant authorities complete investigations and counselling programmes before normal learning resumes.
The debate has reignited questions over how government responds to crises in educational institutions, with some stakeholders calling for a clear national policy that ensures similar incidents are handled consistently, regardless of the school involved.
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