Responding to Violence in and Around Schools in Uganda

Responding to Violence in and Around Schools in Uganda

By Angella Nakafero

Teacher Education Department

A Violence Free Learning Environment is one of the fundamental human rights of every child. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in several Articles requires the Governments to ensure that children grow up, learn and develop in a violent free environment. Specifically Article 19 mandates the Governments to ensure that children are protected from all forms of violence. Article 34 requires States Parties to protect the children from all forms of sexual exploitation and sexual abuse while Article 37 mandates the Governments to ensure that no child is subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

The Constitution of Uganda (1995) in Articles 24 and 44 protects the dignity and safety of every Uganda including the children. The Education Act 13 (2008) reinforces education as a right by all persons and gives effect to the Universal Primary Education Policy and to Universal Post Primary Education and Training Policy of Government.

With the introduction of Universal Primary Education (UPE) and of recent the Universal Secondary Education (USE), the Government of Uganda has greatly improved primary and secondary school enrolment for both girls and boys. Although defilement is among the worst forms of violence with far reaching implications including: teenage and complicated pregnancies; contraction of sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV. In most cases young mothers are forced into early marriages thus denying them the right to education the population in schools in Uganda is growing steadily, available research shows that children are exposed to different forms of violence and may learn new forms of violence while in schools. Violence against children in schools is perpetrated by teachers, other school staff while others by fellow children.

In a study conducted by the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES), 74.3% of the children interviewed had experienced caning by an adult in school; 43% of children had experienced bullying; 46.7% of children surveyed experienced emotional abuse perpetrated by teachers; 77.7% of the primary school children and 82% of the secondary school students had experienced sexual abuse at school while 5.9% of children were subjected to defilement.

The above data and statistics point to the fact the violence against children in and around schools is a serious challenge with far reaching effects including:

·         Undermining the security and safety of children in and around schools as well as inflicts pain and suffering. 

·         It is a threat to children retention and performance; in worst cases may end the child’s right to education.

·         Undermines the psychological and emotional wellbeing of the child

·         Inflicts serious physical injuries including permanent disabilities, and mental damage. In worst cases violence against children has resulted into death.

Muhusini Bifemengo, a secondary student in Bugembe died in 2011. He succumbed to illness, having been bedridden for two years. On one fateful day in 2009, a mathematics teacher caned him for failing examinations. Muhusini returned home with severe back pain and collapsed on his tiny bed. He developed severe back pain and could neither walk nor sit. Doctors discovered that his spinal cord had been damaged. He was bedridden for two years till he died. Source: New Vision, May 9, 2013.

13-year –old pupil gets baby A 13-year –old girl gave birth in Soroti Hospital. The girl got pregnant after she was sexually abused by Jonathan Ejau, a Senior One Student at Orungo High School, who was arrested and released on Police bond amidst allegations that the parents of the boy bribed the Police Officers. Source: New Vision, November 8, 2013

 

However, most of the cases of violence against children go unreported and therefore children continue to suffer the consequences.  This is due to several factors including:

·         Limited awareness and understanding of children’s rights among parents, children, teachers and support staff in schools;

·         Lack information regarding procedures for reporting child abuse;

·         Fear of being further victimized among children;

·         Parents opt for settling capital offences such as defilement out of the formal processes and procedures for fear of being humiliated;

·         The mechanism for reporting, tracking, referral and response to violence against children is not well defined and characterized by poor coordination of the lead agencies. 

·         Societal acceptance of violence is also an important factor: both children and parent have generally accepted physical and psychological violence as part of the learning process. Disciplinary measures through physical and humiliating punishment is at times perceived as normal even when there are legal provisions against such practices.

Cases of violence against children that are reported are well managed due to several factors including lack of adequate data or evidence collected by the officials investigating such cases, mishandling of cases by those investigating such cases, limited coordination and follow up of cases of violence in schools by duty holders such as Local Government Probation Officers, District Inspectors of Schools, Police, School Management Committees (SMCs) and local leaders.

·         Limited implementation of child laws, including bye-laws and ordinances prepared in local governments.

·         There are also cultural practices such as early and forced marriages, female genital mutilation (FGM) among some communities (Karamojong, Sabiny) which do not necessarily take place in schools but have a lot of impact to the child’s attendance and performance at schools.

·         Child labour also continues to weigh down government efforts to curb violence against children in Uganda. 

Establishment of the Inter-Sectoral Committee on VACiS

It is against the above background that the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) and the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD) established an inter-sectoral committee to address VAC in and around schools (ISC VACiS). The ISC is intended to galvanize support and provide a multi-sectoral approach to tackling violence against children in and around schools in Uganda.