KAMPALA, UGANDA: The management of Vienna College Namugongo yesterday (Tuesday) held an emergency meeting with parents over cases of indiscipline among the students that made rounds on social media.
The cases include bullying, consumption of illicit drugs and allegations of students engaging in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activity.
During the meeting at the school, the head teacher, Mr Muhammad Kakiika, said they have put in place measures to ensure that they curb the vices.
Mr Kakiika attributed the increase in the number of bullying cases to the reduction in the number of staff staying at the school.
“Initially, the school was built with a capacity to accommodate 180 female students but after Covid-19, we received over 290 female students. In order to accommodate these huge numbers, we decided to relocate five of our seven staff from the school premises to increase the accommodation space,” Mr Kakiika said.
“This meant that the students were left in the hands of only two staff. However, we have the school policy on bullying to ensure that perpetrators are dealt with accordingly,” he added.
A video clip showing a male student being physically assaulted by a mob of female students during the preps at the school has been making rounds on various social media platforms.
“That boy (bullying victim in the video) refused to keep his (perpetrators in the video) drugs. That is what the mother says,” a parent said on a WhatsApp group.
The parent added: “My daughter says bullying is a lot in that school and for boys it is too much.”
Mr Kakiika condemned the bullying acts and apologised to parents, saying female students are the biggest bullies in the school because they outnumber the boys.
He added that the school has not registered any LGBT case contrary to what was being reported on social media.
“We have not registered any case of LGBT and anyone found culpable of behaviours related to LGBT is subject to indefinite dismissal from the school,” Mr Kakiika said.
Other issues discussed in the meeting include the use of illicit drugs, rampant theft of students’ property and the reluctance of school authorities to supervise night preps, among others.
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