The Office of the National Chairman (ONC) District Coordinator for Kaliro, Wabwire Andrew, has issued a strong warning to headteachers of government-aided schools against sending students home over what he described as excessive “school requirements.”
In a statement released this week, Wabwire expressed concern that some school administrators are imposing heavy charges on parents, allegedly under the guise of school requirements, and denying learners access to education when payments are not made.
“When the NRM government came into power in 1986, it introduced free education at both primary and secondary levels to support children from underprivileged families and curb illiteracy,” Wabwire said. “It is unfortunate that some administrators have shifted from the spirit of this program.”
He cited reports indicating that in some government schools, parents are being asked to pay between Shs100,000 and Shs200,000 per child. According to him, students who fail to meet these payments are sometimes denied entry into school, leading to increased dropout rates.
Wabwire noted that for families with multiple school-going children, the financial burden can be overwhelming. “A parent with four children paying Shs200,000 per child would need Shs800,000 per term. This places unnecessary stress on families and creates frustration that is wrongly directed at government,” he said.
He emphasized that the government has already established measures to facilitate free education under the Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Universal Secondary Education (USE) programs, and no learner should be sent home due to inability to pay additional charges.
On the issue of school meals, Wabwire clarified that while parents may contribute towards lunch, failure to do so should not result in a child being denied access to school. “Education is a right, not a privilege,” he stated.
The ONC coordinator further revealed that some schools reportedly send students home on the first day of term over unpaid requirements — a practice he described as unacceptable and one that must cease immediately.
“As ONC, and in line with our 2026 slogan of ‘Protecting the Gains,’ we are committed to ensuring that all children benefit from the free education policy,” Wabwire said. He warned that failure by headteachers to comply with government policy would attract appropriate action in accordance with the law.
Education authorities in the district had not yet issued an official response by press time.
