Authorities in three private schools in Mbarara Municipality have blocked security officials from conducting a head count of students in their schools under the Universal Secondary Education program. The schools are Mbarara College, Ngabo Academy and Maanji memorial Academy. Each year, government conducts a head count of all students under USE for planning purposes.
Recently, Mbarara Municipal Council authorities embarked on a head count of all USE students but faced resistance from three private schools that partnered with government to implement USE.
Greens Kansiime, acting Mbarara Municipal Council Education Officer says officials who went to Maanji memorial school to conduct a head count were turned away. She says that a result, Arthur Mugenyi, Mbarara District Internal Security Officer intervened in the matter and found that the purported USE beneficiaries were not present at the time.
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She explains that Mugenyi threatened to arrest the school’s deputy headmaster Albert Ainebusinge for denying his team access to the school before they were allowed in. According to Mugenyi, the few students present at the school did not have any requirements for head counting exercise.
Ainebusinge Albert, the deputy head teacher explains that they did not receive prior communication from the education ministry to prepare for the head count exercise. He says that the information required for the head count was with the headmaster who was in Kampala on official school work.
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The security team has threatened to recommend to the ministry of education to with draw the USE program from Maanji memorial Academy. Maanji Memorial School has 482 students both in ‘A’ and ‘0’level. It was established by late Gudo Awuleria, former advisor to President Museveni on small scale industries.
