The minister of State for Higher Education, John Chrysostom Muyingo, has said a team from the ministry have gone to the school in Soroti where a student died under mysterious circumstances last week.
His remarks followed Speaker Anita Among’s instructions for the government to investigate and present a report on the recent cases of deaths of learners in schools.
“It is true these cases exist, and the police have begun investigations. We hope the police report will provide direction, and as a ministry, we have also agreed to improve on school inspections,” Muyingo said.
However, Muyingo kept mum on whether similar investigations will be held at Seeta High School where a 16 year old student, Elishammah Ssesazi, committed suicide over unclear reasons. Muyingo is a shareholder in the school.
In her communication as she presided over the House yesterday, Among raised concerns following reports about the drowning of a pupil of Victorious School in Kampala and the hacking to death of a Primary One pupil at Jozan Nursery and Primary School in Soroti.
The speaker said that schools need to take responsibility for children entrusted to them by parents.
“You cannot have a child who has never gone to a swimming pool just pushed there, and he drowns. It is a very bad thing. We have a child who was slaughtered in Soroti and dumped in a pit latrine. After removing that child, they found four other skulls in that pit latrine,” she said.
Brenda Namukuta, the Kaliro Woman MP noted that students die mysteriously in schools every year and called for investigations into the matter.
Soroti West MP, Jonathan Ebwalu stated that schools need to be reassessed and evaluated in regard to inspections.
“I do not know what the minimum requirements for starting a school in Uganda are. There is a school with only two classrooms and no toilets,” he wondered.
Kalungu West MP Joseph Ssewungu said there is a general challenge with administration and management of schools.
“We have a challenge; there are children as young as three years old in boarding schools. We need to revisit our minimum standards,” he said.
