UNSA criticises school fees ban, says students are going hungry

What the report says

The Uganda National Students’ Association has criticized the government’s ban on school fees payments in government-aided schools, saying the policy has created new problems for learners and schools. In comments reported by Nile Post, UNSA said the change has been linked to hunger among students, teacher shortages and disruptions to learning, especially in schools that previously depended on parental contributions for meals, staffing and scholastic materials.

UNSA Speaker Tendo Henry Martin argued that the policy was introduced without enough support measures for affected schools. He said some learners and teachers are going hungry, and that the loss of fee-based support has forced some schools to reduce operations. The association also said some institutions have had to rely more heavily on day-school arrangements because of limited resources.

The students’ body further questioned whether government capitation grants are sufficient, citing the amount paid per student at O-Level as inadequate for an entire term. It also raised concerns that schools which once used Parent-Teacher Association arrangements to hire additional teachers are now facing staffing gaps. UNSA said the lack of food is affecting concentration, with some learners reportedly leaving school in search of meals and missing afternoon lessons.

The dispute comes amid the government’s wider campaign against what it considers illegal fees in government-aided schools. UNSA said it has written to Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi and the Ministry of Education and Sports seeking dialogue, and has called for reinstating lunch fees, recruiting more teachers and holding an urgent stakeholder meeting. It also appealed to President Yoweri Museveni to intervene.