SOROTI CITY — Soroti City authorities have been directed to immediately stop the use of classrooms as teachers’ accommodation following a monitoring exercise that uncovered a serious shortage of learning space at Moruapesur Primary School.
The directive was issued by the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Secretariat under the Office of the President after it emerged that six teachers were occupying classrooms as their living quarters.
The situation has contributed to congestion at the school, with more than 67 pupils reportedly occupying classrooms designed to accommodate about 55 learners, raising concerns about the quality and safety of the learning environment.
Deputy Head of the RDC Secretariat, Dr. Sr. Mary Grace Akiror, directed the relevant authorities to urgently identify alternative accommodation for the affected teachers and restore the classrooms to their intended purpose.
She warned that classrooms are public education facilities meant for teaching and learning and should not be converted into residential quarters.
The monitoring team further challenged education authorities to address the shortage of teachers’ accommodation instead of allowing the problem to compromise classroom space.
School headteacher Caroline Aero said the school continues to face serious infrastructure challenges, particularly inadequate staff accommodation. Some teachers have been forced to share the few available staff houses, while others commute from their homes.
The school has also attempted to mobilise additional resources from parents to address some of its pressing needs, although efforts to secure adequate contributions have reportedly faced challenges.
The RDC Secretariat directed the City Education authorities, District Education Officer and RDC to urgently address the accommodation challenge and ensure that classrooms are exclusively reserved for teaching and learning.
The intervention is part of the wider government monitoring drive aimed at ensuring that public resources and infrastructure are properly utilised and that government programmes translate into improved service delivery.
The monitoring team warned that misuse of government facilities will not be tolerated, urging responsible authorities to take immediate corrective action.
The situation at Moruapesur Primary School has renewed concerns over inadequate learning infrastructure in some government schools, where shortages of staff accommodation and other facilities are forcing institutions to improvise at the expense of learners.
The authorities were reminded that providing a safe and conducive learning environment is a critical responsibility in safeguarding the future of Ugandan children.
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