By Denis Lumiti
Shinyalu MP Justus Kizito has urged churches to play a greater role in instilling discipline on learners.
Kizito said the current wave of student unrests was as a result of failure of moral and religious guidance.
“I urge our churches to be more proactive in maintaining moral decency and religious virtues among learners in schools that they sponsor,” he added.
The MP said some students had joined suspect associations which instigated them to engage in illegal activities such as drug abuse, sexual affairs and general indiscipline.
He also said many parents had failed to raise their children in a disciplined manner and even harassed teachers who made an effort to do so.
“I am a teacher by profession and I know the problems facing my colleagues. Their core responsibility is to impart knowledge in learners but this cannot be achieved in the absence of discipline,” he said.
Kizito said some churches had kept off schools that they sponsor and rarely held religious sessions with learners and teachers.
The legislator was speaking at Shanderema Secondary School in his constituency when he delivered a 62-seater bus to the institution. The bus was acquired using CDF money.
He said school administrations should also give learners an opportunity to air their grievances so that they do not feel neglected.
“Many of these unrests by students can be averted if school administrations interacted with the learners and listened to their grievances no matter how flimsy,” he added.
Kizito also hailed the government’s delocalisation policy, saying it had improved management of schools.
“Initially we thought the policy was meant to punish our teachers but it has turned out to be very effective. Some teachers did not perform well or were never appreciated because they worked in their localities. But they did very well when they were moved to schools far from their homes,” he added.
