Piles of learning materials belonging to a Lukome Primary School in Gulu have been eaten up by termites.
The materials which include textbooks and the home-based learning materials meant to be distributed to learners from primary one to primary four respectively were uncovered during an ongoing cleanup exercise which started on Wednesday, in preparation for the much anticipated reopening of schools.
Like all other schools, Lukome Primary School located in Gulu’s Eastern Division has been closed for almost two years, since March 2020, when the government announced the closure of schools to forestall the spread of coronavirus disease. However, they are now preparing for a reopening which is planned for January 10, 2022.
Gulu Principal Education Officer Richard Irwenyo who was dragged to the school by the local leaders for an urgent inspection described the incident as an act of indiscipline and abuse of public office by the school authorities. He says the school leaders violated a government directive requiring them to maintain the schools during the lockdown.
“We expected them to stay and maintain the school, but I am shocked to see books being destroyed by termites… It is very painful that the reading materials which were meant to support learners at home were left here and eaten up by termites,” Irwenyo explained.
Evelyn Achola, the headteacher of the school contradicted herself when she said that the materials that were destroyed by the termites were donated by World Vision, but later faulted parents of learners in lower classes for failing to pick up the home-based learning materials from the school.
“The school doesn’t have a library and I couldn’t have anywhere to keep such materials,” Achola told Uganda Radio Network in an interview.
Albino Opira, the chairman of Lawiyadul Village, however, noted that they are yet to determine the value of the property that was destroyed by termites.
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That is poor storage. The school should be having a well designed library.