Schools have suspended some of their programs they deem less important as a way of cutting costs to survive the escalating commodity prices and concentrate on education.
Some of the schools that URN visited have suspended their development projects, changed student menus and suspended trips in a bid to save money to sustain them till the end of the term.
Hajati Hadijah Mayanja, the Headmistress Mariam High school in Kisaasi says she has cut down the usual four meals of rice she feeds to students per week to two. Students will now have to eat cassava once a week but have more posho and beans.
Hajati Mayanja said they had been hard hit by the inflation which shot to 21.4 percent last week, adding that it increased long after the school fees had been set.
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The school has suspended all development projects to concentrate on academics and feeding students.
There is growing concern among schools over what they would do now that a100 kilogram bag of posho has increased from 120,000 to 150,000 shillings. A 100 kilogram bag of beans also increased from 180,000 to 200,000 shillings at beginning of term.
Private schools have to contend with increasing transport fares and rent for their teachers. Schools have had to relax restrictions on fees and allowed back students with part payments. It’s only those students that had a fees balance last term that had to clear their balance and even make a part payment before they were allowed back.
In most schools visited yesterday, the majority of students had not reported back from their holidays.
Assistant Commissioner for Secondary Education, Francis Agula urged schools to redesign their priorities to complete the term with the resources at their disposal.
Agula explained that unlike the first and second terms, the third term is short and there are no co-curricular activities like athletics, trips or drama. Agula urged schools not to think of increasing fees to address inflation.
The assistant commissioner urged school heads to inform all stake holders why students cannot have rice, sugar, or meat to avoid a repeat of student strikes that dogged many schools last term.
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Agula told schools to tell students, parents, members of Board of Governors how inflation is affecting their day to day activities to avoid causing damage to school properties.
He cautioned schools under the universal secondary education program to use the money at their disposal bearing in mind that government only disbursed money at the end of last term.
