FDC urges school owners to be patient with parents over fees payment as term two begins

The opposition Forum for Democratic Change, FDC party has appealed to schools’ proprietors and management not to turn away children who are unable to pay school fees and to meet other school requirements.

While addressing the weekly press conference at their offices in Najjanankumbi, the FDC party spokesperson Hon Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda said that as a party, they stand with parents returning children to school under very difficult economic conditions.

“Prices of all goods in the country have increased at the worst time in our recent history. Worst because the population was still recovering from the effects of numerous lockdowns of their businesses and lives due to sometimes hysterical government responses to the Covid19 pandemic,” said Ssemujju.

He added that parents and guardians should be afforded a whole term payment schedule as requiring full payment from cash stricken parents at the beginning of the term is not only inhuman in the circumstances but prohibitive.

The party also demanded that government relaxes some of the requirements imposed on schools and learners.

“All candidates in primary seven, senior four and senior six must be allowed to sit for their exams including those who have not yet paid for Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) registration fees. Children sitting for senior six must not be forced to produce a valid national identification card. The government should if necessary visit all schools to register those who missed registration in the previous exercises,” Ssemujju added.

He also noted that enforcement of compliance by the ministry of education must also be rescheduled.

Today Monday, May 9th 2022, schools re-open for the second term after a one-month holiday. This is the second time that children are reporting for studies after a two-year lockdown imposed by the government due to the Covid 19 pandemic.

Several schools however registered a low turnout of both learners and teachers due to the heavy rains experienced across the country this morning, while others have been affected by the failure to raise school fees on time due to the difficult economic situation facing the country.