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Parliament has weighed in on the tragic drowning of a nursery pupil at Victorious Primary School in Kampala, with Speaker Anita Among calling for strict accountability from teachers and school authorities.
In her opening communication on Tuesday afternoon, Speaker Among expressed concern over recent school-related incidents and stressed the responsibility teachers hold once parents entrust their children to them.
“We have been having issues in schools recently, and this takes us to parenting. There is a kid who drowned in a swimming pool,” she said.
“Teachers need to take responsibility once parents entrust their children to them. You cannot have a kid who has never been in a swimming pool and you have a situation where he's just pushed into the pool while you watch,” she stated.
She warned that individuals entrusted with the safety of children must be held personally liable for their well-being.
“The entire school should not be the one to carry the responsibility; it should be you the teacher to take personal responsibility.
“You cannot be here, the kids do not know how to swim but you are busy on your phone on WhatsApp and at the end of the day the entire school is blamed. You have to take strict liability,” she added.
Public Outrage Over Tragic Incident
The incident, which occurred at Victorious School last week has left Ugandans heartbroken and demanding answers.
The deceased, identified as Kalama Juan, reportedly drowned while swimming with his classmates after ending up in the deep end of the pool. Efforts to save him were futile.
Reports indicate that both a teacher and the school’s headteacher were taken into custody following the incident, although the Uganda Police had yet to confirm this development.
MPs Call for Institutional Responsibility
Other Members of Parliament also voiced their concerns, calling for broader accountability beyond individual teachers.
Hon Jesca Ababiku, District Woman MP for Adjumani, agreed on personal responsibility but stressed that school administrations should also be held accountable.
“While I agree with personal responsibility, I think even school administrations need to be held accountable. The schools have PTA meetings and governing bodies which are supposed to provide leadership to the teachers on how to act,” she said.
MPs urged the government to enforce stricter regulations and ensure that schools adhere to safety measures, especially in activities such as swimming where children’s lives could be at risk.