Moroto public schools face financial crisis as PTA fee ban hits operations

26 October 2026, 1:08 pm

By Lazaro Apunyo

Government-aided primary schools in Moroto District are facing mounting financial difficulties following the government’s directive banning mandatory Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) fees, with school administrators warning that the policy has disrupted the financing of essential services, including feeding learners.

At Naitakwae Primary School, the financial strain is threatening the school’s ability to sustain daily operations, as parents who previously contributed towards feeding and other school requirements have largely stopped making payments following the directive.

The school has an enrolment of 752 learners, comprising 415 girls and 337 boys, but administrators say the lack of funds is making it increasingly difficult to meet the learners’ basic needs and maintain the smooth running of the institution.

Mike Apule, the Deputy Head Teacher in charge of Academics, said the school previously relied on contributions from parents to support its operations, with day scholars paying Shs40,000 per term and learners in the boarding section paying Shs70,000.

Apule said the contributions had previously been accepted by parents, who understood that the money was needed to support services that could not be adequately financed through government capitation grants.

However, he said the situation changed when the government announced the ban on mandatory PTA fees, leaving the school with very little money to sustain its activities.

“Since the beginning of this term, less than five parents had managed to pay the required fees as Friday, October 23, 2026. This has left the school in a difficult financial position because we have been relying on these contributions to support some of our daily operations,” Apule said.

He warned that unless an alternative source of funding is identified, the school could struggle to maintain essential services, particularly feeding, which is important for learners’ concentration and academic performance.

Apule appealed to the government and other education stakeholders to clarify how schools should finance essential services previously supported through parents’ contributions, especially where existing government grants are insufficient.

Patrick Mutiro, the head teacher of Naitakwae Primary School, said PTA contributions had traditionally been agreed upon by parents during Annual General Meetings, with resolutions recorded in the meeting minutes.

Mutiro explained that the contributions were intended to supplement government funding and enable schools to meet operational costs that would otherwise remain unfunded.

“The PTA fees we have been collecting are discussed and agreed upon by parents during the Annual General Meeting, and the resolutions are minuted. The money is meant to supplement what the government provides to schools,” Mutiro said.

He added that the Universal Primary Education (UPE) grants received by schools were inadequate to meet all their operational requirements, forcing many institutions to depend on parents’ contributions to bridge the funding gap.

According to Mutiro, the sudden loss of this funding stream has placed school administrators in a difficult position, as they are expected to maintain services while operating with limited financial resources.

He called for dialogue between the government, school administrators and parents to establish a sustainable funding arrangement that protects learners’ access to education while enabling schools to meet their basic operational needs.

The situation at Naitakwae Primary School highlights the tension between the government’s commitment to providing free basic education and the financial challenges schools face in delivering essential services.

The ban on mandatory PTA fees is intended to prevent schools from imposing unauthorised charges on parents under the UPE and Universal Secondary Education programmes.

However, school administrators argue that the implementation of the directive needs to be accompanied by adequate and timely funding to ensure that learners are not affected by shortages in essential services.