Rukungiri- Shortage of housing facilities (Staff houses) for teachers and school head teachers in Rukungiri district is hindering the delivery of education services in the district.
At most schools, the few available staff houses are overcrowded and others are in sorry state to the extent of leaking during rainy seasons.
Some teachers share small quarters while others rent in nearby trading centers or travel long distances to reach their duty stations.
‘’ The acute shortage of housing facilities is forcing many teachers to walk long distances from their homes to the schools while others do rent in nearby towns. This problem for sure affects lesson conduction and smooth running of daily school programs’’. Mr Sam Muhumuza, the School head teacher at Katurika ss said.
Mr Muhumuza added “We have 35 staff members ( Teaching and non- teaching) but we only have 6 staff houses of which 2 are single rooms .This situation forces most of our staff members to rent due to lack of staff houses at school’’.
The head teacher now wants the government to address this concern because it greatly affects the smooth running of the school programs which in the end affect the school’s academic performance.
At Nyakagyeme ss in Nyakagyeme sub- county Rukungiri district, out of 33 teachers only 10 including the headmaster Mr Denis Mukunzi are accommodated within the school while the rest commute from different places within town.‘
‘’ The absence of staff houses is making our work hard because at times we can’t perform effectively more especially during the rainy season’’. Mr Mukunzi said.
At Nyamifura primary school in Nyakagyeme sub- county Rukungiri district, out of 12 teachers, only 3 are accommodated within the school and rest are renting in slum areas of Kasoroza trading center.
‘’ Because of this problem, teachers who stay at home reach school when they are already too tired to teach’’. Mr Denies Akatukunda , the school head teacher said.
At Kasoroza primary school, out of 15 teachers, only 2 are accommodated at school.‘’ Poor teachers’ accommodation remains a problem, and it greatly affects both pupils’ and teacher performance’’. Mr Kam Kirakurate, the school head teacher said.
At Bishop Ruhinde secondary school in Kebsioni sub- county Rukungiri district, the School head teacher Mr Justus Mugisha said “Our teachers are facing a lot of challenges with accommodation. Out of 35, only 5 are residing at school. Some do stay at their homes while others are renting Kebisoni trading center’’.
The head teacher added that ‘’ some lazy teachers have turned it into a trick to absentee themselves from duty and blame it on weather especially during the rainy season’’.
At Kashenyi ss, Rev Ivan Mwongyera said ‘’ We are for sure struggling with the accommodation teachers because out of 45 teachers, only 15 are staying at school’’.
The Rukungiri district chairperson Mr Geoffrey Kyomukama said teachers’ accommodation has remained one of the major challenges facing the education sector, adding that a large number of teachers stay outside school due to lack of accommodation.
‘’Few teachers are being accommodated within the school and the majority commute from outside school. This has significantly contributed to absenteeism among teachers’’. Mr Kyomukama said.
The Rukungiri district education officer Mr Jackson Turyahumura told our reporter‘’ we are aware of this problem and we know how the absence of staff houses affect the performance of teachers more especially during rainy season’’ .
Mr Turyahumura added ‘’ Teachers who do not reside within their work stations face difficulties and that during the rainy seasons such teachers are always absent, adding that as an administrator you cannot hold them accountable’’ .
He added that because of this problem, ‘’ we normally face a lot of hardships to establish the presence of teachers who are not accommodated at school ‘’.
