senior inspector of schools in Wakiso district Janat Nakabugo addressing the Primary Head teachers and School owners during their meeting at WAKISSHA Resource Centre in Wakiso Town Council. Photos by Joseph Kiggundu
By Joseph Kiggundu
WAKISO — The Wakiso District Senior Inspector of Schools, Janat Nakabugo, has cautioned school administrators against preventing pupils from sitting their examinations over unpaid school fees, particularly in government-aided schools.
Nakabugo said some head teachers had developed a tendency of denying learners the opportunity to complete their examinations because of outstanding fees, a practice she warned must stop.
She made the remarks while addressing head teachers and school proprietors during a beginning-of-term meeting held recently at WAKISSHA Resource Centre in Wakiso Town Council.
Nakabugo emphasised that government-aided schools should not use school fees as a reason to block pupils from participating in their final examinations.
She also reminded school administrators that Primary Seven candidates were expected to sit their final examinations on the third and fourth of the following month.
The inspector urged head teachers to prepare and submit classroom registers and minutes of school management committee meetings for assessment by the Ministry of Education and Sports.
The chairman of Wakiso Pre-primary and primary schools Association [WAPPSHA] William Bwambale giving a speech during their meeting in Wakiso.
She stressed that the records must accurately reflect the actual number of learners enrolled, warning schools against including fictitious pupils.
Nakabugo further directed teachers to sign the attendance register daily to support the verification of their attendance for monthly salary payments. She said teachers who failed to record their attendance risked being considered absent from duty.
She also called on school administrators to support the forthcoming mass immunisation exercise to ensure that eligible children benefit from the programme.
DEO Calls for Stability in Schools
The Wakiso District Education Officer, Prim Ritah Nanyanzi, urged teachers to provide the necessary support to help pupils complete the school term successfully.
Nanyanzi also cautioned parents against frequently transferring their children from one school to another, saying the practice could disrupt learning and create inconsistencies in their education.
She warned head teachers against engaging in examination malpractice, particularly involving Primary Seven candidates, noting that manipulating examination results was punishable.
Teachers to Receive Curriculum Training
Meanwhile, William Bwambale, chairman of the Wakiso Pre-Primary and Primary School Head Teachers Association (WAPPSHA), said some teachers had encountered challenges during the marking of Primary Seven mock examinations.
Bwambale said plans were underway to organise training for teachers to strengthen their understanding of the new curriculum and examination-setting approaches.
However, he did not announce the date when the training would take place.
The meeting brought together education officials, head teachers and school proprietors to discuss school administration, examination preparation, teacher accountability and the general management of learning institutions in Wakiso District.