Students of St. Paul Mbulamuti Senior Secondary School in Kamuli district on Monday June 26, 2023 staged a demonstration accusing the headteacher, Jessica Namaganda of failure to execute her duties.
The students locked their classes and vowed not to open them until Ms. Namaganda explains to them why some of the teachers are no longer coming to teach them.
Some of the students who spoke on condition of anonymity said some three teachers stopped teaching due to delayed payments.
Describing her as the problem to the school, the angry students kept on shouting that they want the ministry of education to transfer Ms. Namaganda with immediate effect.
The students say that because of her poor administration, the teachers have abandoned their responsibilities and it could affect the performance of the learners.
According to the striking students, the abandonment of duty by teachers stems from the headteacher failure to treat them as professionals.
A S. 4 students told this reporter that they have inadequate time to complete their level and yet they are not being attended to by the teachers because of the weaknesses of the headteacher. She added that a poor performing headteacher affects the performance of the school.
“Our teachers were very active until this lady (Namaganda) was posted here as headteacher. Everyone is demoralized and it is us who are getting affected. We beg government to get us another headteacher,” said one student.
Students also say they are receiving poor services from non-teaching staff with many accusing Namaganda of poor administration and non-payment of their salaries.
As the students were choruses shouting and banging objects, the police came and engaged them in running battles. Tear gas canisters were thrown on top of shooting in the air to scare them.
At the time of the strike, the headteacher was not at school. Some teachers who had come also left for their safety as the students advanced toward them.
As the situation got out of hand, the RDC, Rose Birungi came to the school, called the headteachers, the board and PTA and held a meeting with them.
The RDC demanded to know the exact root cause of the strike to no avail.
The RDC ordered temporary closure of the school to create room for listening to the students’ issues and finding solutions to them. She said the school would resume on July 03, 2023 after resolving the impulse.
Contacted for a comment, the headteacher, Jessica Namaganda blamed the strike on some teachers.
She said the students have been incited by some members of staff who are also being used by another person who has been fighting her since her transfer to St. Paul.
The Eye Media has established that on several occasions unanimous letters and petitions have been written to many offices including IGG, demanding for the transfer of Namaganda.
