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Uganda: Government Gets Touch On Boarding Schools
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The Monitor (Kampala)
10 May 2008
Posted to the web 9 May 2008
John Augustine Emojong & Yasiin Mugerwa
Kampala
Boarding schools that do not meet the minimum safety requirements for dormitories should not be allowed to re-open for next term, the State Minister for Disaster Preparedness, Mr Musa Ecweru, has directed.
Mr Ecweru, who was speaking at celebrations to mark the International Day of the Red Cross in Tororo on Thursday, said the the new government directive affects all boarding schools in the country. "All primary and secondary schools without minimum safety requirements should not re-open for next term: I'm going to announce this as soon as I reach Kampala," he said.
The directive follows the April 14 disaster in which 20 pupils died in a dormitory fire at Budo Junior School.
Schools are expected to re-open on May 24 for the second term but Mr Ecweru said this would depend on whtehr schools meet the requirements.
"All leaders who are here, including head teachers, you can take it from me right away that no boarding school should be allowed to re-open if it does not meet the requirements."
When asked whether she was aware of Mr Ecweru's instructions, Education Minister Namirembe Bitamazire said a top management committee meeting would be held on Monday to consolidate all the guidelines which will be sent to all schools.
"After the Monday meeting, the Ministry of Education will come up with a harmonised position on this matter," she said. "After what happened at Buddo, we put in place committees to revisit these safety guidelines and they will be reporting their recommendations on Monday."
Mr Ecweru said boarding schools must have two entrances and emergency exits to its dormitories as well as fire-fighting equipment. "Whoever wants to re-open should put in place the required facilities before it is too late," he said.
"All these guidelines are in the Ministry of Education safety manual and should be implemented if we are to save lives."
According to the November 2001 "Basic Requirements and Minimum Standards: Indicators for Educational Institutions" policy, the Ministry of Education requires formation of safety and security committees for all schools, which must have a fire extinguisher, 20-metre wide fire-free protection zone and a lightning conductor, among key installations.
The guidelines that detail lesson preparation and essential licensing requirements are, however, silent on dormitories, ostensibly because other legislations on health and buildings cover them. On whether his directive is government policy, Mr Ecweru said: "I don't need to consult Ministry of Education, I am directing this as a Minister for Disaster Preparedness."
The Vice Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Social Services, Dr Lastus Sserunjogi (NRM, Kiboga East), reacted angrily, saying that Mr Ecweru should go through the Ministry of Education and Parliament.
"This is not a dictatorial regime," Mr Sserunjogi said. "The government does not work on decrees, we know he is in charge of Disaster Preparedness, but students are going to be affected in the process and there are steps to follow."
Mr Sserunjogi added: "In any case, this is what we want to put in the new Education Bill, but not in a rush manner as Mr Ecweru is suggesting. He is just ambushing us, this has to be discussed. He is just politicking."
Chwa MP Livingstone Okello-Okello said the time frame for the implementation of the directive is not friendly.
"Schools should be allowed to re-open and enforce these safety standards as students study. What the government should do is to make sure that supervision is up-to-date, otherwise, the new directive will disorganise students."
Some head teachers who talked to Saturday Monitor have expressed strong reservations over the new directive. "Since it is holiday time, many schools have no money to implement this directive," Ms Claire Nduhura, the headmistress of City High School, said. "We agree that all schools should have these safety facilities but schools should be given time to address the problem."
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Mr Ecweru cited Teso College Aloet where dormitories which were planned by the forefathers of this country have at least two wide exits and entrances, yet today, dormitories have one tiny entrance with burglar proof windows, endangering the lives of the children as was the case in Budo Junior School.
"The dormitories in Aloet provide for emergency exits in case of fire," Mr Ecweru said. "But the modern dormitories of today are dormitories where only meat is removed when fire breaks out when children are inside."
He said his Ministry is working out a programme to train all students on a number of safety measures.
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