By Scovia Akwero

Gulu

Over 200 pupils in Tochi primary school Omoro district are learning under mango trees due to inadequate classrooms and ongoing renovations at the school.
According to the school administrators, coming back from the holidays, they found four classrooms under renovation which has critically affected the proper reopening of the school prompting them to adopt new modalities of teaching the learners under the tree shade at the school.
 
Tochi primary school is a government aided Primary school which currently has a total student population of 300 pupils in Tochi County Omoro district.
Denish Ongwen Doyolo, the acting deputy head teacher disclosed that there are a lot of challenges they are experiencing as a result of teaching under the mango trees. “when we came and opened the school, we found that other classrooms are under renovation and the roof were all removed, so we are getting a lot of problem, only three classes are functioning,” Ongwen noted.
 
He added that other classes are equally studying under the trees and violent wind normally tear their books and has made some learners to only come once a week for the fear of inconveniences at school.
 

A courtesy photo of some pupil around the school compound

Walter Odongo, the chairperson School Management Committee disclosed that when they were handing over the site to the contractor, they all agreed that by 5^th February the work would have been completed. “When we were for the meeting PTA/SMC, l called the contractor myself and he said he knows he is supposed to handover on 14^th March contrary to what all of us are aware of because on the day of handover we were all there and he accepted that he will do his best to make sure that the renovation works would be finished before the 5^th of February.”

Beatrice Adong Nyero, the secretary Education and Health promised to make a follow up to address the issue. “The problem is that the contractor is not taking enough materials yet it’s in their docket because once you sign a contract with district to construct a school, you use your money then they refund you,” she was quoted as saying. She promised to talk to DEO about why the work is delaying.

The classrooms under renovations are for P.1, P.2, and P.3 And P.4 respectively.

COVER PHOTO: The Class room block under renovation at Tochi Primary school. By Scovia Akwero