Panic and fear have gripped Ntungamo district schools after classroom buildings collapsed.
At Kahi Primary School, teachers are forced to move students to makeshift shelters near trees due to crumbling classrooms. The situation worsens during heavy rains, cramming students into a single usable classroom. Parents attempted to build temporary classrooms, but a lack of funds halted progress. The school, with 464 students, hasn't received government support despite its official status.
A similar situation plagues Mirama Community Primary School, where a makeshift structure housing younger students poses a safety hazard. Here too, the government prioritized building a latrine over a classroom block. A parent-driven construction project also stalled due to financial constraints.
District leaders remain unreachable for comment. The problem is widespread, with Fr. Sunday Earnest reporting seven schools in urgent need of repairs within his parish alone. These schools also lack staff quarters, proper water access, and struggle with low parental fee payment.
Schools in Ntungamo are desperately appealing to the government for immediate intervention to address these critical safety concerns and infrastructure issues before a tragedy occurs.