Report drunkard teachers- Minister Obua.
The Government chief whip Denis Hamson Obua has called upon parents to report teachers engaged in heavy drinking to the district authorities for appropriate disciplinary action.
Addressing parents of Apami primary school in Abako sub county, Alebtong district on 28th Oct at the thanksgiving service for structures renovated by Tororo Cement, Obua said education is the shared responsibilities but not only for the political leaders.
Six months ago, Tororo cement under corporate social responsibility arrangement injected sh800m to rehabilitate the dilapidated classrooms, administration block, staff accommodation, toilet facilities in the school including face-lifting St. Paul Apami church of Uganda.
The rehabilitation work was completed recently in a school located at Oumu village, Awori parish, Abako. Obua undertook primary education at the school.
He said the shared responsibility also touches teachers and parents to impact good knowledge in the pupils in order to realize excellent results.
“The responsibility of recruiting primary school teachers is vested on the district service commission. It is our appeal to the respective district commission including that of Alebtong to always recruit quality teachers and deploy them to our schools,” Obua said.
He added: “I also believe that if there are cases of indiscipline, there are procedures under the public service standing order that can be involved. Let parents report if there are teachers who are drinking to the sub county or the district authorities.”
“Why can a teacher be drinking at the trading centre and parents are seeing but they cannot report that teacher who is drinking such that authority within the district can involve the provision in the public service order and regulation,” he added.
Obua commended Tororo cement for rehabilitating the entire school and that with the new facility the school will be able to get better grades without any doubts.
He appealed to parents to release pupils in time for school and teachers to inculcate values that are within the new curriculum approved by the government through ministry of education and sports for a better learning.
The Bishop of Lango diocese Prof Alfred Olwa who was the main celebrant urged the school administration to sustain the facility.
He said there is a bad culture in Lango where people leave goats and cows to go free-range and cause damage to the beautiful facilities.
Charles Okello, the school`s headteacher appreciated Tororo Cement saying because of the improved structures, the pupils enrolment has started shooting up.
He revealed that when he joined the school last year, the enrollment was 255, but now as he talked the population has gone to 744 pupils.
He added though the school has been rehabilitated, they still face a number of challenges such as inadequate staff accommodation, poor Universal primary education funding and negative attitude among parents to support the school.
They can make good suggestions in the Parents and Teachers Association meeting but they don’t pay the money, Okello said adding currently the school is getting sh6m which is meagre but for it to run properly it needs like sh10 million.
By Arao Denis