The government should establish measures to ensure that children living in slums and other urban poor settlements go to school, women activists have said.
As part of the forthcoming Women in Politics Conference, the activists, who were touring Kikubamutwe slum in Kampala recently, noted that despite the availability of the Universal Primary Education (UPE), many children were finding it hard to attend UPE schools because they do not have the necessary requirements such as books, uniforms and food because they cannot afford them.
“We all know that UPE is not completely free as parents have to provide books and other necessities. In fact, it is going to get worse following the proposal in the 2014/15 Budget to reduce the capitation grant to UPE schools and the tax on the educational materials like books,” said Ms Patricia MunabiBabiiha, the executive director of Forum for Women in Democracy.
She said unless the government intervenes and establishes special measures, a number of children of school going age in areas such as Kikubamutwe will be kept out of school.
“All the citizens of Uganda deserve to live in dignity but what we have seen here (Kikubamutwe) is a disgrace and government needs to act fast to help the children living in such areas,” MsBabiiha said.
The Minister of Education and Sports, Ms Jessica Alupo, said more should be done to sensitize parents about the Education Act which makes it clear that in the absence of such things like uniforms, children should be allowed to continue with their studies.
“I agree with them and similar issues have also come up in rural areas and if particular cases where children cannot completely get these items can be identified and isolated, it is a proposal that government can take up,” MsAlupo said.
She said it is pointless to keep a child in school when they do not have a book or a pen to write with and observed that government was already establishing measures to curb the problem.
The activists donated an assortment of scholastic materials to People Concern Literacy Centre in Kikubamutwe. The centre was set up to help such children who had failed to join school.
Source: Daily Monitor
Comments:
The Declaration of the rights of the child,adopted by UN General Assembly of 1959, states: “The child is entitled to receive education, which shall be free and compulsory, at least in the elementary stages. He shall be given an education which will promote his general culture and enable him, on a basis of equal opportunity, to develop his abilities, his individual judgment, and his sense of moral and social responsibility, and to become a useful member of society.”
In many African countries, not all children can get an education which, according to the Declaration of the rights of the child, is their inalienable right. Western countries bomb Asian and African countries only because of the fact that there, as they claim, the government violates the citizens’ rights (Iraq, Libya, etc). They waste lots of money on these wars. But why do the western countries not defend the basic rights of African children who do not have the opportunity to get a normal school education in the 21st century?