17 April 2008
editorial
Kampala — On Monday 19, young girls perished when their dormitory at Budo Junior went up in flames. The cause of the fire remains a mystery, but initial suspicions point to arson.
Even if one child had died in the fire, it would have been one child too many, that 19 young lives were snuffed out is a national calamity. That this is not the first fire in a school that has taken children in the last two years makes it an even bigger scandal.
The implied carelessness with which our children are being treated in school has far reaching implications for this country's economy.
The congestion we see in school dorms - children now sleep on triple deckers, suggests that the available school infrastructure is under enormous strain.
Education minister Betty Bitamizire admitted during a press conference at Budo Junior School that her ministry does not have the resources to expand facilities to meet the recent upsurge in school enrollments.
Everybody who is anybody knows that government does not have enough resources to sate increasing demand for social services in this country.
It is, therefore, shocking that government continues to tax private schools, which are bridging the social services gap, as if they are bars or discotheques.
The Government needs to leverage the power of its private sector to help it narrow the gap between the growing demand for education and its inability to service the demand.
The Government can set standards, that if met by deserving schools, qualifies these institutions for tax waivers. This will stimulate quality investment in education, reduce the pressure on government schools like Budo junior and improve the conditions under which our children study.
This is just one measure that can improve our social services and infrastructure, but for this to happen, ministries need to stop working in isolation and work together to formulate strategies for this country.
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