Buvuma residents seek special learning arrangement for pupils

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Parents from Lufu island in Buvuma district are seeking for a special arrangement to cater for the learning needs of children from the island communities during the ongoing closure of schools.

They say that their children have not benefited from any of the interventions that the Ministry of Education announced as part of the education response plan. These include teaching children virtually through lesson broadcast on both radio and television and the distribution off self-study materials that were sent through the local councils.

Lufu island has one government primary school with an enrollment of 539 pupils who are currently at home with no material of aid to support continuity of learning according to the school director of studies Geoffrey Oryem. 13 of the school pupils were expected to sit for Primary Leaving Examinations this year.

At the island, there is only one resident who owns a television set which is placed in one small room. He added that although the resident wanted to help, the space at his home is not enough to host the learners without breaking the guidelines on social distancing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Oryem fears that many of the children might drop out of school considering that keeping them in school has previously been a tug of war in an area where they are attracted more to fishing activities than education.

Richard Balwa, the area LCI chairperson says that the island received one copy of self-study materials for each of the four-subject covering only two classes; primary six and primary seven. He however says that he is keeping the materials at his home while waiting for parents to raise money for his transport to Jinja town where he hopes to run photocopies.

David Mwambe, a parent of 13 children suggests that the government reopens island school since they do not have any contact with the mainland and therefore cannot spread coronavirus disease.

The Buvuma Deputy Residents Commissioner Juma Kigongo advises the parents to encourage their children to revise their books as well as attend classes on radios.

Buvuma District Education Officer Hussein Bugembe says they are also waiting for guidance from the Ministry of Education and Sports on the resumption of schools and adds that the challenge of attending virtual classes has affected all scattered islands across the district.

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