Education authorities in Moroto District are hesitant to refurbish Rainbow Primary School, which has seen a drastic decline in pupil enrolment, now standing at 312.
The school, established in 2000 as a feeding center and later becoming a community-supported educational institution, previously boasted over 600 learners.
This low enrolment has prompted the district to transfer nearly half of the teachers initially deployed there. Rose Longoli, the Headmistress of the school in Acholi Inn village, Rupa Sub-county, attributes the dwindling numbers directly to the lack of dormitories for both boys and girls.
She explained that this forces upper primary pupils to transfer to boarding schools, significantly impacting Rainbow’s enrolment. Longoli also highlighted critical teacher accommodation shortages, with only eight of 16 teachers adequately housed.
Moroto District Education Officer, Markson Akol, stated that allocating limited resources to a school with low enrolment is challenging. He confirmed that the department recommended transferring excess teachers, leaving the school with 16 staff members for its current pupil count. Akol challenged Rainbow Primary to boost its enrolment to 900 pupils to qualify for dormitory construction and other needed infrastructure.
The government took affirmative action in Karamoja by providing boarding section to schools in order to boost enrolment and keep children in school.
