David Mafabi
20 May 2008
Manafwa — The chairman Uganda National Teachers Union for Manafwa District has condemned the alarming levels of child labour and disregard for the universal primary education programme by parents in the district.
Mr Kuloba Wamai said the findings by his office indicate that many children in Manafwa are dragged out of school by parents and taken to Kenya to provide casual labour as housemaids to earn money for sustaining their families.
Mr Kuloba said despite the free education provided by the government, parents encourage their children to drop out of school to begin petty cross border trade and child prostitution at the Uganda-Kenya border in order to earn a living.
"The problem of child labour in the sub-counties neighbouring Kenya and its concomitant problems can't be over emphasised, the number of school-age going children joining petty cross border trade and child prostitution is increasing day by day," Mr Kuloba.
Mr Kuloba was recently presenting a speech on behalf of the district workers' to the political leaders and technical staff at Bubutu Sub-county headquaters during an occasion to mark the International Teachers' day.
He said the situation explains why more than 43 per cent of the girls in Manafwa District are child mothers below 15 years and why there is poor performance at Primary Leaving Examinations every year.
He revealed that although universal primary education programme is 11 years old and was basically introduced to help children from poor homes access primary education where a parent is only expected to provide scholastic materials, food and uniforms, the parents in Manafwa find it more beneficial to offer their children as house maids and petty businessmen across the border.
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