Police have charged two Lubiri High School Teachers with neglect to prevent a felony following a viral video in which students were seen twerking provocatively.
Police Spokesperson, CP Fred Enanga, identified the two teachers as Joseph Nsubuga and Ms. Lydia Nabakka.
“They are being charged with Neglect to Prevent a Felony, C/S 389 of the Penal Code,” Enanga said in a statement.
This followed inquiries into acts of indecent practice exhibited by students of Lubiri High School in a bus while returning from a field trip to Jinja on June 10, 2022.
The actions were known to the public through a video footage which went viral, Enanga noted.
Enanga says following legal guidance from the DPP, it was established that there was lack of enough supervision by the teachers during the field trip.
He says police have recommended to the school management, the immediate suspension of students who participated in the indecent behavior and those who recorded and posted the videos on social media.
He said this will act as a lesson to other students in school, to behave in a more responsible manner.
“After the lapse of the suspension, the students will be counseled by probation officers in charge of the area on appropriate behavior and how to refocus their attention on learning.”
He says it was established that the bus carried 73 students, which was more than the sitting capacity of 67 students.
“Although the driver did not solicit the number of students, which is excusable, it was not appropriate for the school to assign only two teachers who failed to properly supervise the bus activities. All teachers charged with the duty of superetending students in school must exercise reasonable supervision over them and the attendant circumstances. In this instance, instead of warning the students, they left them to behave in an egregious and unsafe manner,” he said.
“To the school administrators, the acts above exposed the students to danger which calls for further vigilance. Remember when parents bring their children to school, it is a duty of the school management to take care of their children and ensure they are safe.”
He called upon all schools to take all necessary steps to ensure robust and reliable systems for preventing, reporting indiscipline, abuse, neglect of students and transparent dialogue with all stakeholders, especially parents and guardians.