The government has earmarked 120 historic secondary schools across the country for infrastructure renovations.
The initiative aims to modernize aging facilities and make established academic institutions competitive with newly constructed seed schools.
The State Minister for Education and Sports, Hon. Peter Ogwang, announced the development during Wednesday’s parliamentary sitting.
The minister was addressing concerns raised on the floor by Hon. Peter Obong Acuda regarding severe infrastructural decay in older public schools.
Hon. Obong warned that traditional schools continue to lose learners to modern seed schools because of dilapidated buildings.
“With the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) that requires fully equipped laboratories and functional structures like libraries, government should first do research before constructing new schools,” Hon. Obong said.
He added that “schools like Akokoro SS are disadvantaged because of the old structures and attract few students yet the seed secondary schools are overwhelmed”.
Hon. Ogwang acknowledged these structural deficits and confirmed a targeted restoration blueprint focusing on institutions built between the 1960s and 1980s.
“We will undertake renovations of Comboni College, Lango College, St. Catherine Girls School, Dr. Obote College, Adwari SS and Aloi SS,” Hon. Ogwang said.
He noted that the government will partner with international development agencies to expand renovations to more institutions beyond the initial phase.
Kalungu West MP, Hon. Gonzaga Ssewungu, urged the Ministry of Education to extend immediate interventions to primary education.
“When you talk about rehabilitation of secondary schools, key attention should be given to Universal Primary Education (UPE) schools since many of them are condemned,” Hon. Ssewungu said.
Hon. Ssewungu emphasized that Universal Primary Education schools operate solely on state capitation grants without charging fees.
“I implore the minister to give key attention to primary schools. Most don’t even have toilets,” he added.
Hon. Ogwang clarified that the central government disburses primary school maintenance funds directly through local government structures.
He urged lawmakers to exercise active oversight within their district councils to ensure proper utilization of allocated resources.
