The Education Service Commission has raised an alarming stance over the deepening staff-student gap that currently stands at 43%. This they say is affecting the service delivery in the education sector.

While releasing the Countrywide validation of Human Resources for education in government-owned and grant-aided secondary schools and tertiary institutions, the education service commission has raised fears over the existing widened student-staff gap in these institutions that are set to cripple the quality of service delivery.

The deputy chairperson of the Education Service Commission Dr. Violet Kajubiri has revealed that as per their findings, the deepened student-staff gap is a result of the 1997 staff ceilings that don't match the contemporary population growth.

"The ceilings were last revised in 1997 for any school. I do not know that at that time the enrollment for example of Mengo Secondary School, today they have more than 5000 students, "Dr Kajubiri emphasised.

Teacher transfers have also been cited as an area of concern amidst elements of fraud highlighted in the recruitment of teachers across many schools.

"Local authorities complained about teacher transfers that sometimes they do not get communication from the ministry but I think that has improved, " Kajubiri said.

The limited number of laboratories and school infrastructure also calls for the provision of adequate structural infrastructure across many schools. However, fraud in staff recruitment and access to payroll especially by new staff is a bottleneck that the commission contends must be addressed immediately.