Iganga, Uganda: A severe shortage of desks and the absence of a school feeding programme are among the major challenges affecting learning at Bulumwaki Primary School in Namungalwe Town Council, Iganga District.
The concerns emerged on Thursday during a monitoring visit by the Iganga District Coordinator of the Office of the National Chairman, Mr Buyinza Abdul Rahim, who is conducting inspections of Universal Primary Education (UPE) schools across the district.
During the visit, the headteacher, Ms Namutuba Oliver, told the inspection team that the school currently has 921 pupils being managed by 14 teachers, including the headteacher.
She revealed that the school is grappling with an acute shortage of desks, forcing many pupils to sit on the floor or share limited seating space during lessons. “The school has never received desks either from the sub-county or the district,” Namutuba said, appealing for government intervention and possible support from the ONC office.
She explained that the lack of adequate desks has made it difficult for pupils to comfortably write and follow classroom lessons.
No feeding programme
The headteacher also raised concern over the lack of a school feeding programme, noting that none of the pupils receives lunch while at school.
According to the school administration, poor parental cooperation has made it difficult to introduce a feeding programme despite the growing enrolment.
Ms Namutuba said the absence of lunch affects learners’ concentration and participation in afternoon lessons, ultimately impacting academic performance.
The school leadership also expressed concern about rising cases of teenage pregnancies in the surrounding community, which continue to affect learners.
Headteacher Namutuba appealed for partnerships with organisations that can support counselling and guidance programmes for pupils. She also highlighted the urgent need for girls’ changing rooms, explaining that the absence of such facilities often forces female pupils to miss classes during their menstrual periods.
Despite the challenges, the school leadership commended the ONC team for the monitoring visit and expressed hope that the concerns raised would attract attention from relevant authorities.
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