The Fate of Masongora primary school hangs in balance seven years after being constructed by president M7

By Musa Polite

The future of Masongora primary school that was constructed by president Museveni under the presidential pledge in 2016 in Kabende sub county Kabarole district still hangs in balance as enrolment drops severely with eluding hopes of being taken over by government.

The school with seven modern class room structures, staff quarters, modern latrines and water facilities welcomes you with a bushy compound with dry grass and a dozen of pupils playing around the bushy area.

Seven years after the construction of magnificent buildings at the school, teachers have slowly withdrawn their services without explanation with every term, two to three teachers failing to report back because they have been waiting for the school to be taken over by government in vain.

Front view of Masongola primary school

Katushabe James Katabarwa, LC3 chairperson Kabende says that president Museveni constructed the school in 2016 under presidential pledge and pledged that government would take it over and since then, most performing teachers have since left to get juicy jobs elsewhere or absorbed by government in other schools, leaving the school crippling.

‘’the failure by government to take over Masongola primary school has in the long run led to decline in enrolment because as performing teachers withdraw their services, parents also decide to take away their children and now the school is almost empty’’ Mr. Katabarwa asserts.

Parents and why taking away pupils

James Magezi, Teopista Kangwagye, all neighbors of the school who withdrew their children from the school shown their dissatisfaction with the government for taking long to fulfill their promise to take over the school which led the quality of what is taught to be distorted.

‘’The issue with government is that it takes things ‘’binkwatireki’’ a Runyankore word literally meaning I don’t care… can you imagine Fort Portal catholic diocese also gave out four acres of land for the construction of St. Felix secondary school in the same sub county which government promised to take it over but we have waited in vain.’’ one Kangwagye was quoted saying

The dropping enrollment

Mr. Wamanya Benson, head teacher Masongola primary school says the support from parents is too small with many of them claiming to have no money to pay fees and despite school fees being as low as 25,000 shs per term, most of the parents default.

According to Mr. Wamanya, the dropping enrollment at the school is alarming with now less than sixty pupils from primary three to primary seven, adding that even if they were all paying school fees in full amounts and in time, the money would still be small to run the daily activities of the school because the number of pupils from P3 to P7 ranges between ten to twelve pupils

A P7 pupil dictating for his only three fellows in a nearly empty classroom during class time.

Teachers and what they go through

Since most teachers with draw their services mysteriously, the school that runs classes from pre- primary to primary seven has only six teachers with only three being qualified, the head teachers says most of the times, they can’t raise money to pay teachers because of the low enrollment.

‘’… you can imagine 25,000shs per term from sixty pupils would raise only 1.5 million, remember most of them default completely, others pay half of the money. How can that small money run daily activities of the school and pay teachers at the same time? Mr. Wamanya lamented

Mr. Lujumba Joseph, the Kabarole district education officer says the school in question with other schools that are due for government takeover were submitted to the ministry of education and they will be take over in phased manner.

Asked what it takes for government to take over a school, Lujumba noted that it’s a matter of district identifying a school and submitting it to the ministry, then ministry monitoring the school, which both steps have been done on Masongola primary school and St. Felix secondary school in Kabende sub county.

On the low enrollment and if it could affect the takeover of the school, the DEO says they have now taken responsibility of talking to the parents in sensitization meetings like it has been before with other schools that had delayed to be taken over by government so that they bring back the pupils since takeover is in the pipeline.