Mayuge Chairman Asks Minister to Drop School Fees Ban, Warns of Falling Education Standards

What the report says

Mayuge District Chairperson David Ziija has asked Minister of State for Local Government Balaam Barugahara Atenyi to withdraw a directive that bars head teachers in government schools from collecting money from parents. According to Nile Post, Ziija said the ban could disrupt school operations, weaken staffing and other services, and eventually lower education standards in the district.

Ziija made the comments while speaking to residents of Kigandalo and Bukabooli sub-counties during the launch of road works in Bunya East Constituency. He argued that parents still have a role in supporting school needs that are not fully covered by government funding, such as meals, fencing, school transport, examinations and teacher support through parent-teacher associations. He urged leaders to visit schools and assess how the contributions are being used before stopping the practice.

Mayuge Chief Administrative Officer Abdu Batambuze also said school leaders were unhappy with the directive. He cited concerns from Bunya Secondary School, where, he said, the school has far fewer government-paid teachers than it needs and has relied on parental contributions to hire additional staff. Batambuze warned that stopping the payments without a replacement funding plan could force some schools to send learners home.

The report places the issue in Uganda’s broader debate over school financing, especially where government subsidies and staffing are limited. Ziija separately used the same event to launch grading works on five roads and called for quality construction so the roads do not deteriorate soon after completion.