There are mixed reactions among parents in Bududa District to Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi’s directive limiting voluntary contributions in government-aided secondary schools to Shs60,000, with some saying it will ease the financial burden on struggling families while others fear it could affect the quality of education.
The directive followed the minister’s visit to Bududa on Thursday, September 17, as part of his “Expose the Corrupt” campaign, during which he found that some government-aided secondary schools were charging students mandatory fees exceeding Shs200,000. Balaam said the charges were making it difficult for children from low-income families to access education, contrary to the objectives of the government’s Universal Secondary Education (USE) programme.
He directed the schools to immediately stop imposing what he described as illegal charges and to inform their Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) and school board chairpersons about the directive. The directive also triggered an attempted arrest and investigation of the head teacher of Bududa Secondary School, Nasibu Mutyaba, after he was accused of charging fees beyond the permitted limits.
However, students reportedly intervened when anti-corruption officials attempted to take him away. The minister’s directive has since divided opinion among parents. Moses Wanambwa welcomed the directive, saying it would enable children from low-income families to remain in school. He said high school fees had previously forced some children to drop out.
However, Emmanuel Masaba expressed concern that limiting parents’ contributions could reverse gains made by schools in Bududa in improving the quality of education. Edith Namono, another parent, said reduced financial contributions could affect discipline in schools and potentially contribute to increased school dropouts.
Patrick Wanda, whose child previously attended Bududa Secondary School, said he once visited the school after falling behind on fees by Shs50,000 but was unable to secure assistance. He said his child later became pregnant while staying at home and eventually left school for marriage, despite having performed well in Primary Seven.
Wanda said his experience demonstrates the difficulties some families face when they are unable to meet school-related financial demands. Bududa District has eight government-aided secondary schools with a combined enrolment of more than 10,000 students. Questions, however, remain over whether all parents can afford even the Shs60,000 contribution.
Since the contribution is voluntary, the directive is intended to ensure that a parent’s inability to pay does not prevent a child from accessing education. The debate now centres on how schools can maintain the quality of education and discipline while ensuring that children from economically disadvantaged families are not excluded because of their parents’ inability to pay-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
