Katikamu North MP Challenges Govt to Create Special Fund for Schools to Avoid Endless Fees Increments
With less than few weeks to the commence of 2023 Academic calendar, parents are in panic and fear of endless fees increments made by especially private schools.
In Uganda, it’s becoming a norm for private schools to increase fees and requirements every at the start of new term and the government normally pay a deaf ear to the cry of the parents.
To curb that problem, the Katikamu North Member of Parliament Hon. Denis Ssekabira challenged Government to create a fund in the next budget 2023/2024 for schools to borrow to avoid increasing school dues.
While addressing media in kampala, Hon. Denis Ssekabira, Katikamu North Mp says the budgeting process is under way so government should plan how to create special fund which will help private school to borrow at lower rates such that they don’t charge a lot of money to parents because they are also poor.
“Schools especially private schools, borrow money from commercial banks at a huge rate of between 24% to 26% per year, they pay income tax, that money end up levied to parents which denies many to take their children to schools and yet education is a right, so what the government should do is to create a special fund where schools, hospitals can go and borrow at a low rate such that social services can reach to the public at low cost.” MP suggests.
“It’s like a deliberate effort by the government to eliminate the poor child to compete with the children of the rich in the job market.”
Ssekabira adds that every parent likes to take his child to a good school but they can’t afford them due to high fee charges.
He says his going to table the same matter on follow of Parliament for consideration.
“……so I request the parents to continue demanding for their rights, meanwhile as a member of Parliament, am going to table this matter below the floor of Parliament to make sure that the government does what’s required to do.”
However has advised schools to desist from asking zero balance and allow parents pay in installments because they are also recovering from COVID-19 and recent Ebola calamities.
According to ministry of education calendar, schools open for term one of the 2023 on Monday, 6th February 2023.