Parents in Kateete Village, Kyampisi Sub- County, Mukono District, are urgently calling on the government to address the deteriorating conditions at St. Athanasius Bazzekuketta-Kabembe R/C Primary School.
With overcrowded classrooms, inadequate facilities, and limited resources, the community is struggling to provide a conducive learning environment for their children.
Despite the school’s long history of serving the local population, the infrastructure has been left in disrepair, forcing both students and teachers to endure difficult conditions.
Parents are now demanding government intervention to improve the school’s infrastructure, provide adequate teaching staff, and ensure a safe, effective learning environment for their children’s future.
The school, which began as a catechism center in 1937, has educated generations but now stands as a shadow of its former self.
With crumbling infrastructure, overcrowded classrooms, and limited resources, the institution struggles to meet the needs of its 406 pupils.
Richard Ssemwanga, the school’s headteacher, describes a dire situation where five classrooms accommodate ten classes.
The classrooms, built with limited height, are dim and poorly ventilated, affecting students’ vision and learning, especially on rainy days when windows must remain closed to keep out water.
“We try to open windows for light, but it’s never enough. Without electricity, the learning environment is far from ideal,” Ssemwanga laments.
The lack of office space compounds the challenges. Teachers share a single room for administrative tasks, and without a library, books are stored in metallic boxes, limiting accessibility for learners.
Community Struggles to Fill the Gap
The village chairperson, Geoffrey Lukwago, accuses the government of abandoning the school, leaving parents and the church to shoulder its upkeep.
But with most parents relying on subsistence farming, efforts to improve the school’s infrastructure remain inadequate.
Parents face financial hardships, often sending children to school without basic supplies or when they are unwell, and unable to afford healthcare.
Despite these struggles, the school’s dedicated teachers ensure that students achieve commendable results.
Last year, out of 44 candidates who sat for their Primary Leaving Examinations, two scored first grade, while others earned passing marks across second to fourth grades.
Special Appeal
Ssemwanga and the school’s administration have laid out a pressing wish list for government intervention. Their priorities include renovating existing classrooms with proper floors, shutters, and lighting, installing electricity to improve the learning environment, and building teacher’s quarters to retain staff.
In addition, they want to fence the school to ensure security, repair the school’s water tank for clean water access, and recruit more teachers to ease the workload on the existing 12 staff members, only nine of whom are on the government payroll.
Leaders Step In
At a recent open day for parents and learners, former state minister and Mukono North MP hopeful Ronald Kibuule contributed 100 iron sheets toward the roofing of a new classroom block.
While applauding the school’s efforts, Kibuule emphasised the need for official communication with the Ministry of Education to secure more substantial assistance.
“Fundraising alone won’t solve all the problems. We need government intervention,” Kibuule stated, pledging to follow up on the school’s petition to the ministry.
Parents like Ashiraf Mulinda, a resident, are optimistic that government intervention will create a more conducive learning environment and lead to improved academic performance.
“Our children deserve better. With proper classrooms and teacher housing, we can achieve greater success,” Mulinda said.
Despite the challenges, St. Athanasius Bazzekuketta-Kabembe R/C Primary School stands as a testament to resilience.
The community now hopes that their appeals for support will not fall on deaf ears, ensuring that future generations have access to quality education.
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