Donald Kiirya
2 July 2009
Kampala — THE Ministry of education will spend $150m (over 300b) to build classrooms, science laboratories, libraries and offices in various schools under the Universal Secondary Education (USE) programme.
The funds will also be used to buy text books and laboratory equipment.
This was disclosed by the Minister of State for higher education, Kamanda Bataringaya, on his visit to government-aided and private schools under the USE programme in Jinja district on Monday.
Bataringaya said 6,613 classrooms, 405 science laboratories and libraries would be built in 819 USE schools with double shifts.
"The NRM government is doing this to get rid of the congestion in classrooms due to over-enrolment of students under the USE programme and complete unfinished buildings. We want the classroom ratio at one teacher to 60 students.
He added that teachers' houses would also be built in selected schools.
Over 40 classrooms will be built in Jinja district, where the minister visited 10 schools in Butembe and Kagoma counties.
The schools to benefit include St. John Wakitaka, Kakira high school and Busede College, all in Butembe county
Buyengo SSS, Pilkington College-Muguluka, St. Gonzaga Gonza, St. Mary's College-Buwenge, Lubani, Buwenge Modern and St. Stephen, all in Kagoma county, will also benefit.
Seven classrooms will be built at Wakitaka, 12 at Kakira High, six at Busedde, 12 at Pilkington, four at St. Gonzaga, 12 at Lubani and 13 at St. Stephen. The schools will also get libraries, laboratories and their equipment and text books.
The private schools will only get text books and laboratory equipment.
Bataringaya said the Government would raise the money it pays for every student under USE from sh42,500 to sh47,500.
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