Apac Seed: government-donated computers idle due to inadequate power

Apac | Due to a lack of adequate electricity, twenty-eight computers donated by the government to Apac Seed Secondary School remain idle.

These computers were among those distributed to various Seed Schools in December 2023 to support the new curriculum.

Speaking to tndNews in June, headteacher James Akeba stated that the school, which has over 1,000 students, is surviving on only 20 solar-powered computers installed by the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC).

He stated that it is difficult to implement the new lower secondary curriculum.

 “I am telling you that the new curriculum is child-centered, rather than the teacher-centered method of teaching that was previously used. “So, these students require these computers for their research,” Akeba explained.

In his plea to the government, the headteacher requests that the school be connected to the national grid so that idle computers can be connected.

Sam Opira is the Secretary of Health and Education for Apac District Local Government. He said many Seed Schools in the district are having difficulty implementing the new curriculum due to a lack of power.

He stated that the district has written to the government to follow up on the seed schools’ power problem. “No positive response has reached our desk.”

However, he praised the government for establishing Seed Schools, which have reduced cases of school dropout and early marriage in the district.

Meanwhile, George Abdul, Resident District Commissioner of Apac, stated that connecting Seed Schools to the national grid is part of the guidelines.

RDC Abdul also stated that a survey and inspections were conducted in order to provide power to these schools.

Apac Seed Secondary School currently has 1,047 students, with 309 registered for S4 exams this year.

By Felix Omara.