LAWMAKERS have condemned the appalling conditions of some schools around the country and urged the Ministry of Education to intervene. The appeal was made on Wednesday, after a two-day hearing of parliamentary reports from field tours aimed at increasing awareness on the fight against the genocide ideology in schools. All the five reports around the country revealed rampant unhygienic conditions that did not meet the required standards. ESA Ruhengeri was one of those pointed out in the report as being unhygienic. MP Emmanuel Mugabowindekwe who led the team that went to the Eastern Province, said that some schools in the province had a number of problems that required immediate intervention by the ministry. “Some secondary schools in the Eastern Province, lacked qualified teachers whereby most of them were senior-six graduates (A2) which was not allowed by the academic standards,” Mugabowindekwe stated. In Kirehe District, MPs’ findings revealed rampant shortage of water in some schools subjecting students to walk long distances in search of water. The reports also revealed the mismanagement of funds meant to cater for the students’ well-being in some government schools. “Many Private schools are profit oriented and that’s why there was little supervision of student welfare in some of them,” Mugabowindekwe pointed out. In Ruhango District- Southern Province, the reports state that some schools were poorly constructed thus putting students’ lives in danger. Other schools that did not the required standards were in Nyamagabe District. Aaron Makuba who led the team that went to Southern province said that most schools had no recreation grounds yet it is not allowed by the Ministry of Education. “Some schools administrators are incompetent, whereby some employ their own relatives who do not meet academic standards,” Makuba told the House. Legislator Mike Rugema stressed that the ministry should always oversee the performance of private schools to ensure maximum observance of the set standards. Ends
