Authorities at Kigulu College in Namungalwe sub-county, Iganga District, are grappling with a severe accommodation crisis that has forced hundreds of students to study in emergency tents and makeshift structures.
The government-aided institution, which implements the Universal Secondary Education (USE) program, is currently overwhelmed by a skyrocketing student population of about 2,800 learners. This massive enrolment has triggered severe congestion in classrooms, acute shortages of desks, and heavily constrained the capacity of the existing science and computer laboratories.
Popularly referred to as the ‘Giant’ by locals in the Busoga sub-region due to its outstanding performance in both academic and co-curricular activities, the school’s stellar reputation has ironically become its biggest undoing.
Speaking over the weekend, the headteacher, Ms. Rehema Kasuubo Rebecca, explained that while student admissions have surged over the years, infrastructure development has crawled at a painfully slow pace.
‘We are a USE-implementing institution and therefore not supposed to charge any school fees. We have tried to put up six more classrooms using local collections and also received two classrooms from the district, but there is still a severe shortage to accommodate these big numbers,’ Ms. Kasuubo said.
To cope with the daily influx, the school sought assistance from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which stepped in to donate large emergency tents to serve as temporary classrooms. Other students are forced to take lessons in makeshift structures assembled out of wood, timber, and iron sheets.
Ms. Kasuubo noted that beyond the shortage of space, many of the permanent older structures are dilapidated due to age and require urgent renovation-resources for which the school completely lacks.
‘When the classes are crowded, it heavily affects the teaching and learning process because both the teacher’s and learner’s movements are restricted,’ Ms. Kasuubo explained.
The school administration has formally written to the Ministry of Education and Sports requesting urgent intervention. Currently, the school operates without a main hall and has very few computers to support the digital demands of the lower secondary curriculum.
According to the school management, the primary requirements needed to stabilize the situation include:
Shs2 billion to commence construction of a storied building to house eight classrooms and administrative offices.
An upgraded computer laboratory with adequate functional computers for ICT lessons.
A main assembly hall for student gatherings and examinations.
An immediate supply of double-seater desks to eliminate floor-sitting during lessons.
“We are optimistic that we shall be assisted because the ministry has promised to come to our rescue when funds are available. This is a public school and we cannot stop any student who wants to join it,” the headteacher added.
On staffing, Ms. Kasuubo commended the government for providing textbooks and retooling teachers to implement the new curriculum content. However, she revealed that out of the school’s 65 teachers, only 40 are on the government payroll. The remaining 25 are paid through internally generated funds by the Board of Governors (BoG).
‘If I get all my teachers on the government payroll, I would redirect the money which is currently paid to the BoG teachers to develop the school’s infrastructure,’ she noted.
Despite these daunting bottlenecks, Kigulu College has maintained its academic prowess. Mr. Baker Kasadha, the Iganga Municipal Education Officer, confirmed that the school continues to post excellent results in both Ordinary (O) and Advanced (A) level national examinations. He attributed the massive enrolment to the deep confidence parents have in the institution’s track record.
However, Mr. Kasadha offered little immediate hope for local government infrastructure funding in the short term.
“This financial year we have a limited budget and we don’t have any plan to construct classrooms for that school. But we have also informed relevant authorities about the congestion in classrooms and I think something will be done,” Mr. Kasadha said.
The Chairperson of the Board of Governors, Rev. Godfrey Wabukolo, stated that they are actively working with all stakeholders to create a more conducive learning environment.
Established in 1979 by the Anglican Church and later taken over by the government in 1984, Kigulu College remains a beacon of hope in Busoga. Ms. Kasuubo, who took over the school’s leadership in 2021 after serving as deputy headteacher since 2016, urged parents to change their mindset toward free education. She blamed the poor academic performance of most USE schools across the country on a negative parental attitude.
‘Some parents have up to now not understood the value of education. We keep on sensitizing them, but we still have a lot of work to do to make them appreciate the value of education,’ she concluded.