Over 400 students of Sir Samuel Baker School in Gulu who had been sent home over a violent at that led to destruction of school property have been ordered to pay 85,000 shillings as fine before re-admission.
The suspension of the students took effect from Friday June 30 and will end on July 14 when they are expected to report back to school.
If all the 450 students pay the fine, the school will be able to generate about 38.2 million shillings.
On June 28, students at the school were suspended over a violent strike in which window glasses of classroom blocks, teachers’ staff houses were shattered and destroying crops in teachers’ gardens destroyed.
During a meeting at the school on Monday this week, the Board of Governors, Parents Teachers Association (PTA) and the School Management Committee (SMC) resolved that each of the students pay 85,000 shilling before they can be allowed to back to school. In total, a student will part with a total of 87,750 including the bank charges.
Johnson Erik, the Sir Samuel Baker Headteacher said on Wednesday that the school administration resolved that each student pays 85,000 shilling, an amount reached after an assessment by the Gulu District Engineer on the damaged property.
The headmaster said each parent is expected to accompany is expected to accompany his or her child to school with the bank slip as confirmation of payment.
According to the Headteacher, no students will be allowed to enter the school compound without paying the fine.
School is expected to officially reopen on Saturday by the Gulu district education department and members of the board of governor.
Normal classes will resume on Monday, July 17, 2017, close to three weeks after the school was closed.
The students reportedly went on strike protesting the decision by the school administration banning the use of “mercenaries” in sports competition.
During a recent athletics competition at Gulu University playground, Sir Samuel Baker came third. The students blamed their loss on the refusal by the school management to allow two former students represent the school as ‘‘mercenaries’’. This triggered the strike which led to destruction of school property including the library, laboratory, head teacher’s residence, cooking utensils and administration block. The angry students also destroyed cassava and maize gardens belonging to the teaching staff.
