By KT Reporter
Hundreds of children in the Napak district are dropping out of school every year to join the streets due to a lack of access to quality education.
Whereas the government policy states that every parish must have a government primary school, Napak district has only 24 Parishes with government schools out of 59 parishes. The nearest government school is about 8 to 11 kilometers a distance that cannot be walked daily by tender-aged children.
While Education is seen as an important tool to address the problem of child trafficking, many children in the district are facing challenges in accessing quality education.
As a result, children have dropped out of school and are now living in the streets of towns, mainly Kampala and Nairobi in Kenya, where parents often send them to beg for money to feed their families.
The report from the district education department shows that approximately 87 percent of children in the district drop out of school due to many factors, such as poverty and long distance to school, and the negative attitude that prioritizes children as breadwinners for families.
Joyce Nakoya, the Napak District Education Officer, said that lack of access to education has greatly contributed to the rise of child trafficking and more children driven to street life.
Nakoya said that schools often register high numbers in the lower classes, and the numbers drastically reduce when they reach the upper classes.
She stressed that the drop always starts between the primary four and seven classes, and the majority of those children find their way to towns to live on the streets.
Nakoya said that most of the parishes have community schools, which were started by the NUSAF 1 program, and they were not grant-aided by the government.
Nakoya noted that the parents have lost interest in having children go to community schools because they want to be where there is government support.
Nakoya further explained that most schools have opted to run boarding sections, but they are hindered by limited resources. She said that the schools are struggling to provide meals for supper since the World Food Programme only supports midday meals.
Nakoya appealed to the government to support the feeding of the children in the boarding section.
Nakoya observed that most of the households survive on a single meal because of biting poverty, and this frustrates their efforts to pay money for school feeding.
Nakoya said that the parents are no longer responsible for their duties, and now the officials have embarked on parental sessions to try to remind them about their responsibilities.
Nakoya also urged the local leaders to come up with the bylaws that enable the parents to take on the responsibilities of their children and embrace education.
John Paul Kodet, the LCV Chairperson for Napak district, asked the police to support him in enforcing the laws to ensure that all the children go to school.
Kodet said that he is starting up another new campaign to ensure that all the children who are still hiding in the kraals are rounded up and forcefully taken to school.
Kodet, however, noticed that the children come from parishes that do not have a single primary school.
Kodet challenged the government to code at least the 21 schools that have been established in the community so that children can attain education.
Robert Abia Owilli, the deputy Chief Administration officer for Napak district, called upon the government and development partners to provide the necessary resources for the children at school.
Owilli noted that the parents should also be brought to book and charged for failing to fulfil their parental roles of raising children.
Owilli urged the stakeholders to support the district by ensuring they provide better school facilities to support learning.
A report from Napak District Local Government estimates that about 4,000 children are now living on the streets in urban centres, particularly Kampala and Nairobi-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
