So , now parents have to pay to attend speech day functions? A Luganda speaker would say ‘Omunaku Alabye’ (loosely translated as the poor suffer)
Asides from paying huge amounts of fees and other requirements, some of them unnecessary, parents of Kabojja Junior School have been requested to pay a fee of 30,000 shillings , if they want to watch and cheer their children singing and dancing at the speech day concert.
“The entry fee shall be Shs30,000 per adult person. Tickets shall be sold in advance to parents and guardians from their respective teachers. P.4 – P.7 are advised to stay home due to limited space. If parents want to bring them, they will also be required to pay entry fee,” reads part of the Memo sent out by the School head teacher.
Pre-primary – P.3 pupils will be the day entertainers whereas P4-P4 pupils have been advised to stay back home due to limited space. However, as clearly indicated in the memo ”In the event that their parents bring them, they shall be expected to pay entry fees and shall not wear uniform”
This is likely to cause another social media uproar, much as it’s for a good cause.
Time and time again, government through the Ministry of Education and Sports has warned schools against charging parents exorbitant and unfair fees.
The Ministry recently went as far as setting up a committee to study fees structures in both government and private schools. The committee was tasked to make recommendations to guide the government on regulating charges in the learning institutions across the country.
Robinson Nsumba-Lyazi, the director of Basic Education, said in an interview that they have been receiving many complaints from stakeholders that schools are overcharging them.
