Several parents on Friday accused the management of Sumayya International School in Masaka District of detaining about 50 pupils over fees balances following a presidential directive that requires schools to close as one of the measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Some of the parents who spoke to the Daily Monitor on
Friday said the school management had vowed not to release their
children until the parents cleared outstanding fees balances they owe
the school.
One of the parents who preferred anonymity in order to
speak freely about the matter said she went to the school on Thursday to
pick her child after President Museveni’s directive but the school
authorities declined to give her the child, insisting that she first
clears the fees balance.
“I have been coming here since yesterday
[Thursday] to pick my child but the head teacher told me that they won’t
release her unless I first clear school fees balance which I don’t have
now, ” a seeming distressed female parent said on Friday.
By Friday
afternoon at least 40 parents were seen stranded at the school gate
pleading with the administration to release their children.
It was
after the intervention of Masaka District Resident Commissioner, Mr
Herman Ssentongo, hours later, that the school head teacher, Ms Sarah
Nanyanzi allowed the parents in.
“When some parents raised an alarm
that their children had been confined at the school yet the presidential
directive requires them to return home, I intervened and ordered the
head teacher to allow the pupils go and she sorts out her issues with
parents later when schools reopen. She [Nanyanzi] had not acted by the
time I left but I am sure she will comply,” Mr Ssentongo said.
When
contacted, Ms Nanyanzi said the matter had been resolved but about 15
pupils who were still at the school were yet to be picked by their
parents.
“It not true that we confined the pupils. We have been
allowing parents to take their children but some parents haven’t come
for reasons we don’t know. The school management has decided to take the
pupils to police such that parents can pick them from there,” she said.
Meanwhile,
in Lyantonde District, there are claims that some schools have
reportedly sent some pupils back home and left those in candidate
classes at school to continue with their studies.
Mr Hebert Batenga,
the District acting education officer said they plan to conduct an
operation with police on Monday in all schools and administrators that
defied the presidential directive and whoever is culpable will be
arrested.
