๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐๐๐ซ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ
๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐๐๐ฒ, ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ ๐๐๐๐
A legislative proposal seeking to amend the Basic Education Act, 2013 is undergoing pre-publication scrutiny by the National Assembly Committee on Education.
The proposed Basic Education (Amendment) Bill, 2025, sponsored by Hon. John Waluke, seeks to enhance transparency by requiring non-teaching staff to declare their wealth and by aligning school audits with the Public Audit Act.
One proposed amendment would require non-teaching staff to declare their income, assets, and liabilities, as well as those of their spouses and dependents.
The Committee Members noted the misuse of funds particularly infrastructure funds in public schools. Hon. Nabii Nabwera advocated for a clear separation of financial and academic roles within schools.
โLet the teacher be the teacher, teach and manage the academics and we have a professional manager and a qualified administrator actually dealing with issues of money with schools, resources and procurement,โ Hon. Nabwera stated.
The Committee questioned why a ministry allocates money to public schools that would be entrusted to individuals who may lack proper qualifications and are not held accountable by any regulations.
Hon. Eve Obara and Hon. Mary Emaase called on the Ministry to develop a mechanism to ensure accountability from bursars and other non teaching staff.
The Bill also seeks to mandate that school audits align with the Public Audit Act.
However, committee analysis pointed out that the Basic Education Act and the Public Finance Management Act already provide comprehensive frameworks for the audit and management of public funds, including penalties for non-compliance.
In the meeting, chaired by Hon. Julius Melly, the Committee also engaged representatives from the Office of the Auditor General on Performance Audit Reports for the Ministry of Education on Management of Development Funds for Technical Institutions, March 2018; the Implementation of the National School Upgrading Program, March 2018 and Expansion, Improvement and Maintenance of Infrastructure in Public Primary Schools by the Ministry of Education, November 2021.
