By Delux Emmy Alomu
SOROTI CITY
After a heated three-hour debate, parents and teachers at Soroti Secondary School have reached an agreement to charge sh100,000 per term for ordinary level students and sh150,000 for Advanced Level students, starting in 2027.
Up until this year, ordinary level students have been contributing sh163,000, while Advanced Level students paid sh188,000.
This decision regarding the PTA development fee was made during the Annual General Meeting held at the school on Saturday November 7th, 2026.
The debate became quite heated, extending to the point of voting. However, the results, as announced by PTA Chairperson Vincent Enomu, indicated that a majority of parents were in favor of maintaining the PTA fee rather than reducing it.
This announcement sparked controversy, with several parents walking out in protest, claiming that the results had been manipulated and that the prevailing sentiment leaned towards a fee reduction.
In response to the walkout, Enomu, alongside a few leaders including Resident City Commissioner John Michael Okurut, stepped outside to discuss the situation. Upon their return, Enomu announced that they had indeed come to an agreement to lower the fees.
Consequently, the school, which had budgeted around sh2.9 billion for the upcoming year, will now have an expected revenue of sh2.1 billion, resulting in a deficit of sh815 million. Out of this budget, over sh500 million was allocated for various school projects.
Following the discussions, the PTA Chairperson and his eight-member committee were re-elected without contest.
Chief Guest, Francis Esudu Obwonyo, the Mayor of Soroti City, expressed hope that external pressures, including from the Minister of Local Government Balaam Barugahara and the desire of some PTA members to keep their positions, didn’t unduly influence the decision to reduce the fees, stressing that academic performance should not suffer as a result.
He pointed out that if academic results decline, both the PTA Chairperson and the RCC would be held accountable, emphasizing the importance of proper consultations rather than succumbing to hasty decisions under pressure.
Esudu acknowledged the government’s inability to provide fully free education and urged parents to support PTA funding, noting that about 54 teachers at Soroti SS are funded through the PTA.
RCC Okurut praised all stakeholders for reaching the fee agreement and highlighted that the government supports such arrangements.
He also advised hostel owners to register with the school managers for assessment, noting that many students stay in unregistered hostels, where concerning activities such as drug use and prostitution are reported.
“Starting next year, we will no longer permit school children to reside in unapproved hostels. In our previous operations, we encountered instances where children were arrested for engaging in inappropriate activities,” stated the RCC.
Michael Obuya, the City Education Officer, underscored the importance of four key areas that require serious attention in the education of children: guiding the youth, supporting teachers, and ensuring education is prioritized.
Simon Opolot, the city’s school inspector, urged parents to frequently check on their children residing in rented accommodations and hostels, as many of these places are often associated with questionable activities.
He also encouraged parents to find productive tasks for their children to engage in throughout the long holiday.
Soroti SS stands as the most populous government school in Teso, boasting an enrollment of over 6,000 students, and is recognized as one of the leading academic institutions in the sub-region.
