MUKONO – The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, The Most Rev Dr Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu, has called upon the government and parents to ensure that students and pupils are fed at school to enhance their academic performance.
Archbishop Kaziimba made the appeal at the closure of the Church of Uganda Heads of Education Institutions Association (COUHEIA) annual retreat at Uganda Christian University in Mukono District today.
“There is no way a student who spends the day hungry will focus on what has been taught to him or her. My appeal to the government and parents is that we must work collaboratively to avail food to students to enhance their academic performance,” Archbishop Kaziimba said.
He called for uplifting and promoting model schools and charged the government to consider supporting existing schools in communities before establishing new ones.
He decried the widespread genetically modified foodstuffs on the market and the fake chemicals that have ruined the agricultural productivity of many areas in Uganda.
Archbishop Kaziimba called upon the government to beef up security, especially in rural areas during the Christmas season because of the rampant theft, which has discouraged people from working.
The Chief Guest, Rt Hon Thomas Tayebwa, the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda, represented by Hon. Dianah Kagyenyi Mutasingwa, the Minister for General Duties in the Office of the Vice President, commended the Church of Uganda for being a reliable partner in improving the education standards in the country.
Rt Hon Tayebwa said that there is a need for deliberate efforts to make schools safe spaces for child protection and decried the rising violation of children’s rights.
He pledged the government’s continued support to the Church of Uganda to ensure access to quality and affordable education for all Ugandans.
Bishop Nathan Ahimbisibwe of South Ankole Diocese, who chairs the Board of Education for the Church of Uganda, decried the rising conflicts and strikes in schools, saying that these are contrary to the values of the Church.
“We must be united for service and growth. We can’t grow when we have conflicts in our schools, between parents, teachers, and students. We must plan for the future together if we want to get there,” Bishop Ahimbisibwe said.
During the retreat, a new leadership team led by Mr. Grace Nantajja Ssebanakita, the Headteacher of Mengo SS, deputized by Mrs. Eunice Byomuhangi, the Headteacher of Bishop Kivengere Girls School in the Diocese of Kigezi, was elected, replacing the one led by Lay Canon Dr. Charles Kahigiriza, the Headteacher of Ndejje SS.
Rev. Canon. Dr. Paul Grace Kakooza, the Director of Education Services in the Church of Uganda, expressed enthusiasm in this team, saying that it will help intensify awareness and the need for self-sustainability.
“We are advocating for our schools to be run as businesses. Whereas these are mission grounds and avenues for social transformation, we want to focus on investment for self-sustainability. I pray that God uses this team mightily,” Canon Kakooza said.
He added, “We have had a record attendance of over 400 participants in this retreat. There was networking between big and small schools. Previously, big schools had some level of pride while the small ones had phobia. But this has been broken.”
Canon Kakooza expressed gratitude to the 70% of the Dioceses in the Province of the Church of Uganda that have embraced and established inspectorate units that supervise and monitor the schools, a move that has greatly improved academic performance.
