Poverty is increasingly threatening access to education in Busaana Sub-county, Kayunga District, with parents reportedly marrying off their daughters for dowry and withdrawing children from school to engage in child labour.
The concerns were raised by the headteacher of Busaana Church of Uganda Primary School, Zuena Kaguna, who said poverty is denying many children their right to education.
“Some parents are giving away their daughters for marriage in exchange for dowry, while others force their children to drop out of school and engage in child labour because of poverty. This is destroying the future of our children,” Kaguna said.
She also highlighted staffing challenges at the school, revealing that although the school has an enrolment of more than 1,500 pupils, it has only 21 teachers, seven of whom are privately paid by the school. She said the staffing gap has resulted in a poor teacher-to-pupil ratio and placed a heavy financial burden on the institution.
Speaking during the commissioning of school patriots, John Magezi called on parents and school administrators to work together to safeguard children's future through education, patriotism and talent development.
“I appeal to school administrators to strengthen patriotism education alongside co-curricular activities. These programmes instil discipline, nurture children's talents, and prepare them to become responsible and productive citizens. Every child has a unique talent that should be identified and developed for the benefit of their future and the nation,” Magezi said.
He warned parents against sacrificing their children's education for short-term financial gain through child marriage and child labour.
“Every child has a right to education. Parents should stop sacrificing their children's future for dowry or child labour. Those involved in violating children's rights will face the law,” he said.
Authorities also encouraged families to embrace government poverty alleviation programmes to improve household incomes rather than withdrawing children from school, emphasising that education remains one of the most effective ways to break the cycle of poverty.
