The Ministry of Education has provided explanations for the exclusion of 14 schools from government grants, citing various reasons including existing government-aided status and infrastructure deficiencies. Higher Education State Minister John Muyingo addressed concerns raised by the education and sports committee regarding the exclusion during a recent meeting where the Budget Framework Paper for the fiscal year 2024/2025 was presented.
The discussions surrounding the exclusion of these schools stirred tension within the committee, with accusations of regional bias, inadequate infrastructure support, and unclear communication from the Ministry. Members of Parliament from affected regions expressed dissatisfaction with the handling of the matter, prompting further clarification from the Ministry.
Minister Muyingo revealed that some of the schools in question were already receiving government aid, rendering them ineligible for additional grants. Additionally, in certain sub-counties, alternative community schools had already been earmarked for grant aid, leading to the exclusion of some schools from the list.
A comprehensive validation exercise was agreed upon by the Ministry to assess the viability of the excluded schools for grant aiding. From this exercise, it was determined that 14 schools did not meet the criteria for various reasons, including existing government-aided status, competition with other community schools for grants, and insufficient infrastructure.
The Ministry disclosed that a list of 285 community schools had applied for grant aiding, with 23 additional schools identified and added to the existing list for consideration. Progress has been made in the coding and migration processes, with some schools already confirmed for inclusion in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
Efforts to involve local Members of Parliament in the determination and commissioning of schools to be grant-aided have been emphasized by the Ministry, aiming to ensure transparency and fairness in the selection process.
Furthermore, Members of Parliament questioned the criteria used for the construction of “seed schools,” expressing concerns about geographical imbalance and the lack of transparency in the selection process. The Ministry acknowledged these concerns and pledged to review the criteria to ensure equitable access to education across all regions.
