Uganda: Education ministry introduces PIN numbers to stop ‘ghost’ pupils
African News Dimension ANDnetwork .com
(Kampala) The ministry of education has introduced Pupils’ Identification Numbers (PIN) to fight ‘ghost’ pupils in primary schools.The campaign is to start in 20 districts in eastern Uganda.
Addressing over 180 teachers at Jinja Town Hall during a training workshop last week, PIN coordinator George Ouma Mumbe said the system would save the government from unnecessary spending.
He said some headteachers were getting large sums of money under the Universal Primary Education programme by inflating the number of pupils.
The district assistant inspector of schools and PIN technical officer Alice Nabeta said the system would also control the movement of pupils from one school to another. She said the PIN would operate in government-aided and private schools which are registered and licensed.
Nabeta said the PIN would assist the Government to establish the actual number of pupils and plan appropriately.
The district education officer Abraham Were cautioned school heads against embezzling school funds.
He cited Bufuula Primary School headmaster Charles Kikuni, who was reportedly jailed for embezzling school funds.
Source: New Vision
1 comment:
All systems of public instruction should maintain a comprehensive "Student Information System" that can be communicated across programs/districts. When I first started chairing a budget review committee for Portland Public Schools,.. I can't tell you how many children were counted across programs: i.e. same child was counted in general ed, alt. ed, the teen parent program and even perhaps in night school. Chet Edwards and Co. did an outstanding job turning that ship of state around. Of course it was uncomfortable for folks, as children "disappeared" from the stystem.. without actually "disappearing". With the regional, and growing, adoption of compatible Student Information Systems, the state, local administration, local program can pucker out inefficiencies/overcounts and track student characteristics, programs deployed and outcomes across grade levels. Uganda's getting a grip, in some small measure. The Oregon Republican League give two thumbs up.
-Tony Larson
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