Leaders from Buvuma Islands have urged police to arrest parents who have left their school-going children to drop out of school and look for money, hence leading to a large number of school dropouts in the district.
These remarks were made on November 8, 2024, during a meeting for district budget preparation for the financial year 2025/2026 at the district headquarters.
According to the Buvuma district LC V Chairperson, Adrian Wasswa Ddungu, every landing site in the district has many school dropouts who are now dealing in fishing activities only as a means to look for money.
Ddungu attributed the high school dropout rates in the district to the negligence of parents who do not mind about their children’s education and wellbeing as long as they are making money for themselves.
“Police needs to work with us to arrest the parents of these kids because they are now becoming a problem in society and are also involved in other petty crimes, and all this is due to these parents’ negligence,” he said.
“Kitamilo village, the district headquarters, and surrounding areas have many school-going children aged around 9–15 years who have dropped out of school to be involved in only fishing activities and look for money, yet they are still young and have a bright future ahead,’’ Ddungu added.
He emphasized that there are a few government schools in the district, but parents don’t take their children to study, irrespective of the available free education.
Taka Mukisa, one of the defence secretaries in Buvuma district, said that they need to start their operations on school dropouts because they are also being used by hardcore criminals for petty crimes.
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Mukisa added that once they start arresting these negligent parents, then they will start being responsible and encourage their kids to stay in schools to study.
’’These parents need a wakeup call, and once arrested, they will learn to be responsible for their children,’’ Mukisa noted.
He noted that apart from negligence from parents, economic hardships and cultural practices, such as early marriages and teenage pregnancies, have also increased the dropout rates because many families cannot afford to send their children to secondary schools on the mainland, leading to increased dropout rates after primary seven.
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The situation regarding school dropouts in Buvuma Islands underscores a critical intersection of parental responsibility, community engagement, and educational accessibility. As highlighted by local leaders, the alarming trend of children abandoning their education for immediate economic pursuits not only jeopardizes their futures but also poses broader societal risks, including increased crime and social instability.
Additionally, a multifaceted approach that includes improving school access, enhancing educational quality, and fostering community awareness about the importance of education for future generations is needed because, without these concerted efforts from both local leaders and the government, the cycle of poverty and educational neglect is likely to continue, further jeopardizing the future of the island’s youth.
