Uganda: Children Denied Education in Buvuma Island – MP

África / Uganda / 10 de julio de 2016 / By Henry Lubulwa

Buvuma — Children living in the island district of Buvuma have been denied access to free Universal Primary Education, the area MP Robert Migadde Ndugwa, has said.

According to Mr Migadde, Buvuma has only one secondary school which serves all the 52 islands that makeup the district, which makes it difficult for parents living on the outlying islands to take children from one island to another.

«To cross from one island to another in Buvuma, one needs a minimum of 40 litres of petrol. No parent can afford to take children to school every day in such circumstances,» Migadde said while adressing journalists at District headquarters on Tuesday.

Buvuma District has a population of 80,000 people, according to statistics from the 2014 Population and Housing census. The district only has only one ferry that docks only on the main Island (Buvuma) where the district headquarters are located.

«Even when President Museveni visits the area , he does not reach the farthest islands and landing sites to understand the problems in the area. He only docks on the main Island and stops at the main playground where he holds his political rallies,» Migadde added

According Mr Mark Mugenyi, the Buvuma District education officer, they have only 12 primary schools which cannot serve all islands, leaving many children uneducated.

Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201607080073.html