School owners from the Rwenzori region under the National Private Educational Institutions Association - Uganda (NPEIA-UG) have raised concern over the rampant fires in schools that have not only led to the loss of lives but also the destruction of property.

This was during a meeting the association leadership held with members from the Rwenzori region in Fort Portal where they discuss various issues affecting the provision of education services. The meeting also received feedback on the implementation of the new secondary school curriculum.

The Annual Police Crime Report of 2022 indicated that there was a 16% increase in fire incidents. Police also noted that seventeen (17) schools of the forty (40) that caught fire across the country between January and June 2022 were burnt deliberately, while four other fire incidents occurred out of negligence while four were accidental. These fire incidents are of serious concern to the National Private Educational Institutions Association – Uganda.

On 27th February 2023, one student died while three others were injured when a fire gutted two dormitories at Kyamate Secondary School in Ntungamo Municipality. In February alone, there have been at least four other fires in schools.  

However, probably the worst school fire incident was in April 2008 when fire gutted a dormitory at Buddo Primary School, killing 20 pupils and injuring dozens of others. 

Hasadu Kirabira, the Chairperson of the Private Educational Institutions Association says the sector has been penetrated by intruders which have caused envy and unhealthy competition.
The stakeholders also discussed the new secondary school curriculum, saying that implementation is becoming expensive. They cited the need for new infrastructure, skilled people to run the curriculum, the necessary materials, and continuous professional development among the teachers.
Kirabira also raised concern that the newly registered and licensed private schools are not receiving the curriculum materials, which will affect learning.
However, the association welcomed the new curriculum which they said must be embraced since it emphasizes skills and innovations which will boost national development.
Lawrence Polly Birungi Apuuli, the Association chairperson in the Rwenzori sub-region asked the education ministry to always engage the private sector on all new policies since they are key stakeholders.

In 2020, the Ministry of Education and Sports rolled out the new lower secondary school curriculum that is competence-based and aimed at equipping learners with employable practical skills.
Under the new curriculum, teachers compile the learner’s achievement under the formative basements in the four-year school cycle. The average marks are later submitted to the National Examinations Board (UNEB) to contribute 20 percent to the grades of each student in the final examinations.

JONAN