Over 300 learners of Lokiding Primary School study under trees

7 April 2025, 1:19 pm

By Joseph Logola

Over 300 learners of Lokiding Primary School in Kacheri town council, Kotido district are still studying under tree shades, two years since the winds blew off their classrooms.

A three-classroom block at Lokiding Primary School was blown off by a storm in 2023 leaving all the lower primary section of learners in the open.

This forced the teachers to conduct lessons under the scattered trees within the school compound.

Lucy Rose Angom, the head teacher of the school says that in some days, the pupils are forced to study in shifts because of limited space.

She adds that that sometimes, during rainy season or harsh weather conditions like the sunny and windy conditions, they are forced to suspend lessons.

Angom says it is hard to carry on with normal teaching under the trees.

Angom, claims that they have severally written to the district education department about the dire needs of the school but without any positive result.

“Look at the classes over there,” Angom said, pointing at the blown off classroom bock, it has not been renovated since 2023, when they were blown off by strong winds”.

The school with an enrolment of 1,466 pupils has given some teachers the liberty to engage in other businesses since the learning environment is not conducive for the lower classes.

Pupils have also taken the advantage to stay home during the rainy or windy days.

A P.3 pupil who talked with our reporter at the school premises, says that she is frustrated with the learning environment.

According to her, they cannot concentrate fully because the sun is very hot and people are passing through the school.

This is what we deal with every day when we come to school. How are we going to concentrate on our studies if we can hear loud music coming from houses and people are passing here all the time?” she questioned .

She says that some of her classmates have developed eye and ear problems due to the strong winds that carry sand.

When contacted, Mark Longoli, the LCIII Chairman of Kacheri town council said his council is financially constrained to help the school.

He added that several attempts to seek help from the district have equally been futile from the political side.

Our reporter sought comments from the district about the plight of the school for days but in vain.