By Weswa Ronnie
SIRONKO
Parents of Budadiri girls’ government-aided primary school located at Budadiri town council in Sironko district have rejected a proposal which was made by the school administration about mandatory payment of lunch fees by all parents.
While speaking on Saturday,11th February, 2023 during an Annual General Meeting (AGM) organized at the school, Rosemary Negesa Gidongo the head teacher said that one of the ways of improving the performance of primary seven, all parents must pay 50,000/= per term for their pupils’ lunch.
During her speech, she said that last year they registered poor results where only 7 pupils passed in Div 1, division two 55, division three 6 division four 0, and one failed.
She says that one of the reasons why they did not get good results is children not having lunch whereby they go a whole day without eating anything making it hard for them to concentrate especially P.7 candidates.
Gidongo proposed to the parents during the meeting that all parents must pay lunch fees for their children.
However, parents rejected the proposal saying it was too expensive.
Andrew Madoi and Grace Nambozo, both parents say that 50,000/= is too high for poor parents in villages.
They warned that the extra lunch fees will force some parents to transfer their children to other schools where there is no mandatory lunch payment.
However, Deo Mandala also a parent also LCI chairperson of Bunyonde B cell welcomed the proposal saying that this going to improve the performance.
He adds that 50,000/= can be paid in installments in the entire term such that all their children can have lunch.
Isaiah Sasaga Wanzira the area Member of Parliament representing Budadiri east constituency in the Sironko district has appealed to parents to play their roles of supporting their children in terms of paying fees on time and buying books, and uniforms than sending their children to school.
He pledged to support some girls at Budadiri girls who did primary living exams by taking them to a vocational course such that they can create jobs.
