MASAKA– Police in Masaka have arrested 13 students of Kimanya Blessed Sacrament Secondary after they allegedly organised a violent strike that forced the school’s management team to temporarily close the school.
The students started striking on Saturday complaining of frequent power outages that they claimed have made them fail to revise their books during the night when they also expected to do homework.
The students also accused their headteacher Allan Muwonge of poor management.
They said the headmaster had failed to apprehend some of the teachers who severely punish students by way of caning, adding that some have sustained injuries as the result of the teachers’ beatings.
They also said the Catholic-founded school with about 3,400 students, increased fees for some of the classes [from Shs 700,000 to 900,000] per student per term without their parents’ input, although the students also complained of ‘poor meals’ offered by the school.
The angry on Saturday night burned the boys’ dormitory, destroying books, mattresses, and other items.
Masaka regional police spokesperson, Muhammed Nsubuga said police have managed to arrest students who masterminded the strike. He said the students were charged with the offences of causing a strike and destroying property.
Students said they had always voiced their grievances to the headmaster but in vain. ”We have always voiced our grievances to our headteacher over power blackouts and severe beatings by some teachers, but he kept a deaf ear,” one student said, adding that the school administration has failed to repair a generator.
The Headteacher, Muwonge, told the cooperator that students were unruly and were not patient enough to wait until their grievances are solved by the school management. He said the frequent power outages in the area have affected the school, even though the school has an old generator, which he said needs repair.
For fear of further destruction of school properties by students, the school management and board of directors decided to temporarily close the school, more so to discuss the strike that forced the police to intervene.
Masaka Catholic Diocesan Education Officer, Fr. Michael Kamuregeya also confirmed the students’ strike erupted over frequent power outages, even though there were other causes of the strike by the students. “There are some other issues which need to be handled and they have decided to close the school temporarily as investigations continue,” he said.
https://thecooperator.news/teachers-paid-to-attend-to-p7-candidates/
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