Parents at Kagadi Secondary School want the government to recruit more teachers and improve facilities as enrolment reaches 4,000, leaving the school dependent on privately supported staff.
Parents of Kagadi Secondary School have asked the Ministry of Education and Sports to recruit more teachers and increase funding to address staffing and infrastructure shortages at the government-aided school, whose enrolment has risen to about 4,000 students.
During the school’s annual general meeting, Parents Teachers Association (PTA) chairperson Zainabu Kabacwamba and Board of Governors (BOG) chairperson Anthony Lwanga called for urgent investment in the institution, which they said faces shortages of government-employed teachers, classrooms, staff accommodation and laboratory equipment.
The leaders said the school, which is about 40 years old, needs additional government support to keep pace with the growing student population and maintain academic standards.
Ramadan Nyondo Barongo, the school’s head teacher and area Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) supervisor, said Kagadi Secondary School has only 23 teachers on the government payroll, while 51 others are privately supported.
Barongo said the school continues to perform well academically despite inadequate facilities. He added that parents had agreed to continue supporting privately employed teachers to sustain the school’s academic performance.
Kagadi District Inspector of Schools Julius Alinda said parents and school administrators share responsibility for ensuring adequate feeding, accommodation and academic performance.
Alinda said the Ministry of Education and Sports was aware of challenges involving teacher staffing and classroom shortages, adding that the issues would be addressed gradually.
During the meeting, parents called for greater government support but unanimously agreed to continue contributing towards privately supported teachers, lunch for day scholars and accommodation for boarding students.
The annual general meeting also featured traditional dances, songs, music, dance and drama performances that entertained parents and other attendees.