Mayuge District Local Council V Chairperson David Zijja has cautioned this year’s beneficiaries of the government quota system to exercise discipline and caution as they join universities under government sponsorship.
Zijja said leaders and parents in the district have repeatedly been saddened by cases where some students, especially those from rural areas, die before completing their studies, resulting in degrees being awarded in absentia.
He urged the beneficiaries to take care of themselves once they report to their respective universities and remain focused on completing their academic programmes.
Zijja said some parents have been disappointed when their daughters join universities and become involved in prostitution and drug abuse. He warned students against being driven by the desire for quick money, saying such choices could put their lives at risk.
He encouraged the beneficiaries to remain resilient and persevere through challenges they may encounter while pursuing higher education instead of yielding to negative peer pressure.
The district chairperson said leaders have become concerned by cases where students’ names are called during graduation ceremonies for degrees to be awarded after death or after they suffer mental health complications linked to drug abuse acquired through peer influence.
He also questioned why some university students, despite receiving financial support from government or their parents, end up soliciting money on the internet.
Zijja cautioned the beneficiaries to be vigilant against fraudsters who may approach them at universities pretending to offer assistance.
He explained that the government quota bursary scheme caters for the costs incurred by beneficiaries throughout their period of study.
Zijja commended government for the initiative and for increasing the number of slots allocated to Mayuge District this year. He said the district’s allocation has risen from six slots in previous years to ten.
Parents welcome selection process
Parents who attended the event welcomed the initiative, saying this year’s selection process benefited genuinely needy candidates compared to previous years when some beneficiaries were reportedly from financially stable families.
They said candidates from families with money or influence had previously secured slots intended for vulnerable students, but this year all ten beneficiaries were selected from poor families within Mayuge District.
The quota system is a government programme through which each district is allocated slots for the best-performing candidates to pursue university education under government sponsorship.
