By John B. Thawite 2.10.2009
Kasese will get close to 900m/= for the Universal Primary Education in the 2009/2010 financial year, bringing the money injected into the sector close to Shs 17.9 billion since the introduction of UPE in 1997.
"This financial year the Government UPE capitation is 889,205,500= and we have already received 202 million for the 1st quarter," the District Education Officer, Douglas Katemba said.
Douglas Katemba revealed this September 30th, in a report to the primary education state minister, Kamanda Bataringaya.
The minister was chief guest at a one-day district education stakeholders' dialogue held at the Kasese catholic Social Services Hall in Kasese town.
The dialogue, which was also attended by officials from the ministries of Public Service and Local Government, was organised by the education department to address the achievements and challenges in the sector and to pave a way forward.
"Since the government introduced the school facilities grant for primary schools, over 7bn/= has been sent to the district," Katemba said, adding that the district had received shs182m from the grant.
This, he said, was in addition to another 750m/= to St Theresa Girls secondary school for the construction of standard, update and fully equipped library and science laboratories and the numerous scholastic materials to various schools in the district.
He said there were 258 Universal Primary Education (UPE) Grant Aided primary schools with 152.974 pupils 26,318 of them boys and 7,8179 girls and 2,993 government-paid teachers.
Katemba further revealed that there were 162 private primary schools with 25,572 pupils, 18 Grant Aided secondary schools and 16 private secondary schools (34) secondary schools benefiting from Universal secondary Education (USE)
"There are also 34 secondary schools with 18,789 students, of whom 14,824 are under the Universal Secondary Education (USE)," he further told the more that 300 guests at the dialogue.
He also said there were 30 private Registered Secondary schools and 10 private licensed secondary schools with an enrolment of 5,694 students (3,192 males and 2,502 females).
He said tertiary institutions include Bwera Primary Teachers College offering Grade III certificate to primary school teachers.
Other tertiary institutions include Katwe Technical Institute (152 students); Katwe Wildlife Training Institute which is the only institution which offers Diplomas has enrolment of 117 students.
Katemba hailed the various education development partners including Save the Children, UNICEF, Churches and Mosques Bishop Masereka Foundation, KALI, Irish Aid and Hima Cement Factory only to mention a few
But Katemba said the district needed 400 more teachers for the primary schools, more classrooms, latrines, desks, teachers' houses and post-primary education facilities for children with special needs.
