Members of Parliament from Karamoja are calling on the government to improve education, particularly by implementing boarding facilities, to better serve the region’s children.
Hon. Lokii Peter Abrahams, the Jie County MP for Kotido district, emphasized the importance of providing Karamoja’s children with a conducive learning environment to prevent them from dropping out of school. He shared his personal experience of traveling by bicycle for two years from Kotido to NTC Ngetta in Lango to access better education during his youth.
Olanya Gilbert, MP for Kilak County in Amuru district, echoed the importance of education, highlighting his experience as a teacher. He stressed the need for a change in attitude towards education in the region.
Hon. Abed Bwanika proposed alternative solutions for dropouts, suggesting enrollment in vocational skills training or technical schools. He also pointed out a concerning statistic: 37 parishes in Napak district reportedly lack a single primary school.
Lokeris Peter, the Minister of Karamoja Affairs, shared his own story of being motivated to attend school because of the availability of tea. He noted that he was able to complete senior four without paying school fees.
The Minister of State for Primary Education, Moriko Joyce Kaducu, provided enrollment data, stating that over 10.9 million learners are currently enrolled in primary education. However, she clarified that the design for Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Universal Secondary Education (USE) focused on constructing multipurpose halls and labs, not boarding facilities. Additionally, uncoordinated charges in some government-aided schools pose a challenge.
Minister Kaducu highlighted a positive development: In March 2023, the cabinet approved a document presented by Hon. Jenneth Kataha. This document included funding, capitation grants, and teacher recruitment for around 3 billion shillings. It also emphasized special consideration and affirmative action specifically for boarding sections.
She further mentioned that the President himself is keen on addressing these challenges and that the Cabinet is currently looking into them, including those faced by island areas. Minister Kaducu concluded by presenting updated enrollment figures as of June 2024. There are 10,976,773 pupils enrolled in UPE across 43,534 schools with 19,636 teachers. The national enrollment for primary schools in Northern Uganda stands at 11.49%, with Karamoja accounting for 2.02%.
