|
The
Effects of the War in Northern Uganda on Education in Gulu District
George
Ochol - Onono - DEO - Gulu District and Augustus A. Oryem – Principal
–Gulu PTC
The war in the northern
part of Uganda is now 12 years old. The conflict has been mainly between
UPDF(formerly NRA) and the LRA, although other fighting forces were
also involved at earlier stages.The fighting has been confined to Gulu
and Kitgum Districts and to some extent in Lira, Apac, and Ajumani districts.
The main target of the war has been the civilian population with schools
and school children in particular being prime targets.The education
sector has therefore been worst hit given the manner of operation of
the fighting forces
1. Effects Of
The War
1.1 Abduction:
As part of the strategies to maintain their forces, the LRA
resorted to abducting school children to boost their numbers. This was
mainly because children could be more easily indoctrinated than adults
and could not easily escape and trace their way back home.Hence the
abduction of thousands of school children have taken place from both
Primary and Secondary Schools: Cases in point included the abductions
from:-
(i) Sacred
Heart S.S. from where between June'1987 and March, 1998 a total of
138 cases of abduction have been recorded.
(ii) Sir Samuel Baker School from where on 21st August, 1996, 39
students were abducted from their dormitory.
(iii) St. Mary's College Lacor from where 23 girls were abducted
on 23rd July, 1996 and another 32 on 20th August, 1992.
(iv) Primary Schools have recorded as many as 3384 known abductions.
Total cases of known abductions of school children however stands
at 5545, but it is likely to be higher than this.
School children
are abducted from classrooms, dormitories or as they walk to or from
school. In case of Primary school children abduction also takes place
at night from their homes or from their bush hide-outs where they spend
nights for fear of the LRA.
1.2 Killings/Maiming/Disabling.
The costs of the conflict in Acholi region has been highest in terms
of human lives lost, and able bodies maimed, mutilated and disabled.Some
well known cases are the following:-
(i) Atiak
massacre of April, 1995 where over 300 civilians including 43 students
and 5 teachers of Atiak Technical school perished in the hands
of LRA forces.
(ii) Killing of GPTC students on 29th July, 1996 when 3 students
and a baby minder were killed by LRA fighters.
Our records include
over 300 teachers and 1050 school children who are known to have lost
their lives. Due to poor recording facilities however, this is considered
to be a gross underestimate.
1.3 Orphans/Destitutes
The killing of adult members of the family (parents) have left many
widows and orphans. The extended family roles of adults has been over
stretched and overwhelmed given that the AIDS epidemic has also taken
its toll.So far 12,752 orphans have been recorded and at the moment
not enough provisions for education can be made for all the orphans
except under the Universal Primary Education (UPE) programme. Therefore
many orphans are unable to remain in school at Secondary School level,
where the cost of education is high (between shs.50,000 and 100,000
per child per term). This situation has also increased the number of
destitutes and street children hitherto uncommon in Acholi land.
1.4 Destruction
of Schools
In their operations in the countryside fighting forces have
used and taken over many school buildings and school compounds as camping
sites.As a consequence school furniture and other scholastic materials
including books have been misused as wood fuel. Roof iron sheets and
other school properties vandalised. Sometimes entire school premises
are set ablaze especially primary schools with semipermanent or temporary
structures.No. of schools destroyed in Gulu District by County.
|
COUNTY
|
SCHOOLS
|
|
Aswa
|
20
|
|
Kilak
|
17
|
|
Nwoya
|
19
|
|
Omoro
|
19
|
|
TOTAL
|
75
|
Because of this,
most schools operating are painfully lacking in the most basic teaching
and learning facilities such as classrooms, desks, books, Science materials
etc. This has compromised the quality of Education.
1.5 Displacements
As a result of the fighting and insecurity, whole schools and
school Communities have been displaced into 20 designated camps
and 20 other centres around town, trading centres, school sites etc.
Out of the 203 schools operating, 123 are in displaced centres/camps
accommodating a total of 54,000 school children and 1200 teachers.But
while the Camps/protected villages may provide relative security from
rebel attacks, it has not been possible to provide the basic requirements
for teaching and learning.The difficulties faced by diplaced children
and teachers include, Lack of shelter, s inform of classrooms, staff
houses etc. Many schools rely on temporary shelters, Lack of furniture
and other scholastic materials, inadequate water and sanitation,
and shortage of food..
1.6 Brain
Drain
Teachers have left for safer parts of the country where conditions of
service are much better and security a quarantine. Gulu district has
therefore lost the services of the best teachers.
2. Statistics
On Displacement, Abductions, Killings Etc.
|
|
SECONDARY
|
PRIMARY
|
TOTAL
|
|
A. SCHOOLS
- Displaced
- Destroyed
- Operational
|
08
00
25
|
115
75
188
|
123
75
213
|
|
B. TEACHERS
- Displaced
- Abducted
- Killed
- At school
|
160
75
50
600
|
1,041
500
250
2,022
|
1,201
575
300
2,622
|
|
C. SCHOOL CHILDREN
- displaced
- Abducted
- Killed
- At school
|
2,023
2,161
207
6,000
|
51,979
3,384
843
116,000
|
54,002
5,545
1,050
122,000
|
Source: Gulu
District Education Department
3. Achievements:
To be in charge of the Education sector in Gulu District is a painful
struggle to maintain and improve on Education against the many odds
of resource scarcity and insecurity.However the current difficulties
notwithstanding, every effort has been made in an attempt to pursue
Education in accordance with the overall Government Policies and objectives;
of promoting basic education, literacy (currently at only 49%) and Higher
Education in order to increase the capacity of the population to appreciate
and respond to innovations.And these efforts, despite the war, have
not been entirely in vain. For instance;
(i) At Primary
Leaving Examinations Gulu District compares favourably with some peaceful
districts. 205 pupils passed at Grade 1 last year (1997), a 40% improvement
over 1996 performance.
(ii) At UCE Layibi College and Sacred Heart Secondary School still
feature among the best 50 schools in the Country. (iii) National
Teachers College (NTC) Unyama, and Gulu Primary Teachers College (GPTC)
are among the best in the Country in terms of academic performance.
4. Recommendations:
REALISING that the basis for any meaningful and durable economic
and social progress is PEACE;GIVEN that SECURITY is a primary precondition
for basic human rights, andIN VIEW of the CRITICAL ISSUES raised above
as a result of the prolonged insurgency in Acholiland, a number of recommendations
relevant to Education have been identified, as follows;
4.1 Emergency
Programmes/Requirements
1. Commanders
of fighting forces to observe human rights in general and children's
right in particular in accordance with the Geneva Convention, and
leave soft-targeting civilians, least of all school children. Otherwise
there is need for intervention by International Institutions to enforce
compliance.2. Emergency Provisions for teaching and learning in
the IDP 3. Introduction of school feeding programmes to reduce
the cost of education especially at Secondary school levels and help
build up enrolments.4. Establishment of orphanages. 5. establishment
of more trauma therapy centres to supplement the work of GUSCO (local
NGO) and World Vision International.6. Provision of vocational,
technical and commercial schools to help empower children after school.7. Remand
Homes/Reformatory to help rehabilitate/reform child offenders making
them more useful citizens8. Better training for teachers.
4.2 Long Term
Programmes:
1. Projects
for reconstruction and re-equipping of schools, including building
of a Teachers' Resource Centre.2. Establishment of a University
and other Institutions of higher learning, and support to enable the
building of the proposed Northern University of Agriculture and Technology,
and Paramedical School.3. Programmes to promote Human, & Legal
rights and Peace Education in schools.4. Sensitisation programmes
to promote peaceful/non-violent resolutions of conflicts, and awareness
of the dangers & costs of war; tolerance, forgiveness and reconciliation.
|
|