Regulate tuition, pregnancy in schools
Members of Social and Economic Rights (ISER), a civil society organization have dragged the government to court to compel the Ministry of Education to pass a regulation for school fees and discrimination of pregnant learners at all institutions of learning.
The group that filed their suit on Monday Morning at the High Court Civil Division wants the government to evoke Section 57 of the Education Act that requires the Education Minister to make regulations by statutory instrument, regulating the fees payable at any school among others.
Led by legal practitioners Andrew Karamagi and Micheal Aboneka, they also contend that under the Pre-Primary, Primary and Post Primary Act of 2008 and Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act, the Education Minister is mandated to ensure that national policies and objectives as enshrined in the Constitution are implemented and observed at all levels of Education.
They claim schools are currently charging exorbitant fees and demanding outrageous requirements such as toilet tissue, paint, rags, reams of paper, brooms, which are not directly linked to education.
Karamagi, one of the petitioners while speaking to our Court reporter Rashidah Nakaayi says many learners have failed to pursue education, which is a right, because of a load of unnecessary requirements and fees levied on them.
“We believe that this is unfair to Ugandans. We want the education Minister to ban all these unnecessary requirements, both private and public to continually demand them on top of learners and parents paying school fees. Why should one pay fees and also take other requirements? How can you take a rag as a school requirement? We also want the Court to compel the Education Minister to put up a policy for the fees and charges levied on Universities and other institutions,” Karamagi stated.
Recently, the State Minister for Education, Dr. Joyce Moriku Kaducu warned perpetrators of increasing school fees that they faced regulatory sanctions. She warned that any school found to have hiked fees without the permission of the Ministry would be suspended. Kaducu said the government has put in place a mechanism to monitor schools.
Karamagi also wants the same court to compel the minister to apply the new policy on pregnant learners at all institutions without discrimination. He wants the Education Minister Janet Kataha Museveni to be forced by the court to put in place mechanisms, facilities and a law that will avoid learners above primary schools from being kicked out.
“If the Ministry is saying that they should leave pregnant girls in primary schools to study, Why not University? There are Universities that refuse pregnant students from learning.The Minister should put in place mechanisms that ensure that,” he said.
The case is yet to be allocated to a judge for hearing.
