At least 280 students have been suspended indefinitely by the administration of Ntare School in Mbarara, over gross indiscipline According to our sources at the school , the suspended are all senior three students.
In a letter dated March 27, 2017, the headmaster Jimmy Turyagyenda said that “On behalf of the Board of Governors and Parents, Teachers Association, we regret to inform you that we have painfully decided to suspend the whole class Senior three because of general indiscipline…”
The letter revealed that the students on March 16, 2017 refused to eat lunch, had on March 23, 2017 forced other students not to attend evening classes and attacked the headmaster’s residence, where they vandalized windows. Turyagyenda told the press that the decision to suspend the students follows advice from the police who were part of the Monday afternoon meeting to suspend the whole class. Turyagenda noted that the school administration plans to recall the students after meeting the Board of Governors.
According to Mr. Turyagyenda, Ntare School students were attacked by those of International Window School at Kakyeka in Kamukuzi Division where various schools converged for post primary football competitions commonly known as soccer gala MBARARA. All senior three students of Ntare School have been sent home in a move to diffuse a riot that was building up at the school. The headmaster, Mr. Jimmy Turyagenda, told the press, after the students had been sent home on Monday afternoon, that the decision was taken by a joint meeting of PTA, Board of Governors and teachers. The students are said to have smashed glass windows of the headmaster’s house and a dormitory, on Sunday night, supposedly in expression of frustration for being attacked and beaten by students of International Window School last Thursday.
According to Mr. Turyagyenda, Ntare School students were attacked by those of International Window School at Kakyeka in Kamukuzi Division where various schools converged for post primary football competitions commonly known as soccer gala.“When we were celebrating our victory and going out of the pitch, we were attacked by some other schools that were not even playing with us, notably International Window. Police was there, the matter was reported. But the students were very unhappy because they were beaten and ran after,” said Mr. Turyagyenda.
The games for the following day were cancelled after district security committee realized that the schools would fight each other. Mr. Turyagenda said when they communicated the decision to Ntare School students, some felt unhappy. “The students especially senior three were angered. Today (Monday) we were supposed to have another meeting with security officials on when games will resume but some boys did not want to hear that. Last evening one class got out of their senses and broke some glass windows, and because the whole school is not involved we decided that they should go home so that they don’t spread the anger to the whole school,” said Mr. Turyagyenda. He added that they will convene a meeting this week to determine the fate of the 280 students. The Mbarara District Police Commander Jaffar Magyezi said police was deployed at the school on Sunday night to suppress the riot.
“We were here last night, we calmed the situation. We are investigating the whole issue, I don’t think they are all the senior three students, we’re investigating to know names so that they can be apprehended,” said Mr. Magyezi. In a similar and recent such incident, 260 students of Kigezi College Butobere in Kabale were sent home on March 20, after it emerged that they were planning to attack Kigezi High School to avenge the beating of their colleagues.
However, other sources within the school also reveal that most of the suspended students are suspected to have been fueling acts of homosexuality and other forms of indiscipline at the once prestigious academic institution in Western Uganda, which the administration have been fighting for long but these claims have not yet been officially confirmed.
