Dokolo, Uganda | Hassa Memorial Primary School in Adok Sub-county, Dokolo District, is grappling with a dire sanitation crisis that threatens the continued operation of the institution.
School authorities have raised the alarm over poor latrine conditions, with fears mounting that the school could face closure if urgent intervention is not made.
During the PTA Annual General Meeting held on Friday, the Head Teacher, Boniface Opio, told press that both the boys’ and girls’ latrines are in an advanced state of disrepair – nearly full and structurally sinking, especially those used by female learners.
Opio said the poor sanitary facilities are posing a health risk to the 1,446 learners enrolled at the school, including 737 boys and 709 girls.
He noted that the situation was so bad that any visit by health inspectors could lead to the immediate closure of the school.
He added that the school is also facing a serious shortage of desks, with learners from Primary One to Primary Four forced to sit on the floor.
Additionally, several classrooms are in urgent need of renovation.
Opio attributed the worsening conditions to the failure by parents to contribute to the PTA Development Fund over the past four years.
He explained that if parents had paid the fund as expected, the money could have been used to construct a new latrine and address some of the pressing infrastructure needs.
He also decried the high levels of absenteeism and school dropouts, noting that only 880 learners had reported for second term studies out of the total enrollment of 1,446.
He said the rest of the learners were still in the villages.
He appealed to parents to resume their support for the school through the PTA Development Fund and to encourage their children to return to school, emphasizing that education was the key to securing a better future for them.
Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the School Management Committee, Dick Oyuku, appealed to the sub-county leadership, district authorities, and well-wishers to come to the school’s aid and help resolve its challenges.
He acknowledged that despite the difficulties, the school had made progress, including constructing nine staff houses and establishing a boarding section for all 42 Primary Seven candidates.
Oyuku also highlighted the school’s effort to generate wealth by investing in a one-hectare cocoa plantation with 507 seedlings.
He urged the surrounding community to take responsibility for protecting the plantation, saying it had the potential to contribute significantly to the school’s long-term development.
Adok Sub-county Senior Assistant Secretary, Susan Naume Amongi, commended the cocoa plantation initiative.
She said three schools in the sub-county had embraced similar projects and encouraged all stakeholders at Hassa Memorial to continue supporting the cocoa program as a viable income-generating activity that could enhance the school’s financial sustainability.
The LC III Chairperson of Adok Sub-county, Rubby Ogwali, pledged to work with the SAS to present the school’s concerns to the district authorities for further action.
He encouraged parents to prioritize their children’s education and welcomed the cocoa farming project at the school as a good example of how local initiatives could create wealth and support development.