Parents in Lwengo District are demanding urgent government intervention after several public schools allegedly imposed fees that many families cannot afford.
The situation has left many children stranded at home, forcing some to abandon school altogether.
Despite the Universal Primary Education (UPE) programme, which is meant to provide free education, parents in Malongo sub-county report that schools continue to demand fees, effectively locking out children from poor families.
According to local reports, at least 5% of children in the district are out of school due to these fees.
Many parents, already struggling with economic hardships, say they have no option but to keep their children at home.
“Government schools were supposed to be free, but every school asks for money. If we fail to pay, they send our children back home,” said 69-year-old Rehema Ndyamuhakirye, a resident of Lwengenyi village in Malongo sub-county.
Ndyamuhakirye is raising seven orphaned grandchildren, including six-year-old Latifah Kamoga, who has a disability.
She attempted to enrol her grandchildren in schools, but her efforts were blocked because the school demanded fees she could not afford.
“I wanted them to start school, but they told me to first pay fees. Where can I get that money when I don’t even have enough food for my grandchildren?” she asked.
In Malongo village, 90-year-old Antonio Ssemuzzima has also given up hope of educating his children due to lack of money.
“None of my children reached secondary school because I couldn’t afford the fees. Now even government schools are charging money. Where do they expect poor people to get it from?” he lamented.
Other parents, like Peter Mwanje, have also been forced to keep their children at home after being asked to pay Shs30,000 per term.
Mwanje, a struggling farmer, says he cannot raise the money, meaning his children have been out of school for months.
“I had no choice but to let them stay at home. Education is important, but if you have no money, what can you do? Yet they also have to eat,” he said.
The schools that have drawn the most complaints include Lwakisujji Primary School and St Kizitto Primary School, both in Malongo sub-county.
However, when questioned, head teachers Edith Kyolande and Antonio Luwaga denied sending children away for failing to pay, though they admitted that parents are asked to contribute money to support school operations.
“The funds we request from parents help to cover areas where the government support is insufficient,” Kyolande, head teacher of St Kizitto, explained.
Local leaders, including Malongo LC1 Vice Chairperson Teopista Nabasirye, say the crisis has worsened, and they have received numerous complaints from struggling parents.
District officials acknowledge the issue but say it is partly caused by mismanagement of funds in school committees.
“Some school management committees are corrupt, and government funding to schools is also inadequate. We are working on finding solutions,” said Lwengo District Chairperson Ibrahim Kitatta.
President Yoweri Museveni, during a visit to the Masaka region in December 2023, warned government school administrators against demanding fees from parents.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, during her own visit to Lwengo last year, also reaffirmed the ban on charging fees in UPE schools.
Despite these warnings, the problem persists.
In response to the growing crisis, Lwengo Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Immy Kateera has assured parents that the government will take tough action against schools violating the policy.
“We are launching an immediate crackdown on head teachers who continue to demand money from parents. This must stop,” she said.
As the government promises action, parents in Lwengo remain hopeful that their children will soon be able to return to school without financial obstacles.
For now, many children continue to stay home, waiting for the day they can resume their education without their families worrying about school fees.