FDC Appeals to School Owners Not to Turn Away Students without Fees

Today May 9, 2022, schools re-open for the second term after a one-month holiday.

This is the second time that children are reporting for studies after a two-year lockdown imposed by the government because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party has said it stands with parents returning children to school under very difficult economic conditions.

“Prices of all goods in the country have increased. And this is the worst economic time in our recent history,” said FDC spokesperson Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda while addressing the media on Monday at Najjanankumbi party headquarters.

“Worst because the population was still recovering from the effects of numerous lockdowns of their businesses and lives due to sometimes hysterical government responses to the Covid pandemic.”

He appealed to schools’ proprietors and management not to turn away children who are unable to pay school fees and to meet other school requirements.

Parents and guardians should be afforded a payment schedule covering a whole term, according to Nganda.

“Requiring full payment from cash-stricken parents at the beginning of the term is not only inhuman in the circumstances but prohibitive and discriminatory.”

The FDC demanded that government also relaxes some of the requirements imposed on schools and learners.

The party wants all candidates in primary seven, senior four, senior six, and tertiary institutions allowed to sit for their exams including those who have not yet paid for Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) registration fees.

“Children sitting for senior six must not be forced to produce a valid national identification card.”

In fact, the government should if absolutely necessary visit all schools to register those who missed registration in the previous exercises, Nganda noted.

FDC further demanded that enforcement of compliance to the Ministry of Education standards by all schools should also be relaxed and staggered as schools themselves recover from the effects of the pandemic.