Students at Kirewa Secondary School in Tororo District are being forced to study in tents due to a severe shortage of classrooms, highlighting the pressing infrastructural challenges the school faces. With over 1,000 students enrolled, the lack of sufficient learning spaces has become a growing concern among parents, the school administration, and the local community.
To cope with the situation, parents, under the leadership of the school’s Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), purchased three large tents to serve as temporary classrooms for Senior 2, 3, and 4 students. However, these makeshift arrangements have proven inadequate, especially in harsh weather conditions.
Senior Four students, Augustine Owori and Jadida Nalukenge, described the challenges they face while studying in the tents. “When it rains, we are sent home for safety. This has been happening for years, and it greatly affects our education,” they said, voicing frustration over the lack of permanent classrooms.
The school’s headteacher, Henry Onder, echoed these concerns, explaining that while the parents have made significant efforts to support the school, the tents can no longer accommodate the growing number of learners. He urged the government to provide a permanent solution to address the infrastructural gap at the school. “We are appealing for assistance. The temporary measures are no longer sufficient, and our students deserve a better learning environment,” Onder said.
In addition to the classroom shortage, Kirewa Secondary School is also struggling with the lack of basic laboratory equipment, which is hindering practical lessons and affecting the overall academic performance of the students. The absence of proper facilities has raised concerns about the future of the students’ education, particularly in critical areas such as science subjects.
The dire conditions at the school have attracted attention from local well-wishers. Recently, Richard Owere Machika, the director of the Machika Foundation, visited the school and donated examination materials to Senior Four candidates. During the event, Machika criticized the lack of political leadership and accountability for the deteriorating situation at the school. “We need accountability from our leaders. The mess at Kirewa is a clear indication that something needs to change at the political level in this constituency,” he stated.
The challenges faced by Kirewa Secondary School are part of a broader problem affecting Uganda’s education sector, particularly in rural areas where schools often lack basic infrastructure and resources. Parents, students, and school administrators are now waiting for a response from the government, hoping that their pleas for assistance will lead to meaningful improvements in the learning environment.
