Govt warns schools over donated tractors

Govt warns schools over donated tractors

 Al-MAHDI SSENKABIRWA

KAMPALA. Education minister Jessica Alupo has warned schools which are yet to benefit for the government school tractor programme not to hire them out but use them to promote teaching and practicing of agriculture in schools.

A total of 27 secondary schools with large   acreage of land  will benefit from the programme and three of them including;  Teso College Aloet ,Ngora High School ,Usuk SS their tractors were handed over to the school administrators  by President Museveni during his visit to Soroti  last week .

According to education minister Ms Jessica Alupo ,  each school will get an agricultural  tractor worth Shs75mllion complete with a three-disc plough ,  a  lawn mower , a rotary lasher and a trailer .

She said the intervention is geared towards encouraging schools grown their own food and ably feed the students.

“Many schools sit on huge acreage of land but are doing nothing on it yet they need food. So ,we want them to get these tractors so that they can sustainably provide food from using their land, provide students with practical training and skills in modern agricultural practices ,develop forests to provide timber and firewood and also improve the environment   ,” she said in an interview last week .

Many schools, especially those built during the colonial time, possess large acreage of idle land and some have been occupied by squatters. For instance, Teso College has 400 acres of land .This new programme may sound as a great opportunity for schools with large acreage of land to carry out agricultural activities.

SCHOOLS TO BENEFIT FROM  GOVERNMENT SCHOOL TRACTOR PRORGAMME
Bukedi College Kachonga
Busoga College ,Mwiri
Dr Obote College Boroboro
Gombe SS
Ibanda SS
Kyebambe SS
Kyezimbire SS
Lumino High School
Mvara SS
Nabumali High School
St Leo's College,Kyegobe
St Aloysius Nyapea ,
St Joseph Colleg, Layibi
St Joseph's College,Ombachi
St Peters College Tororo
Bweranyangi Girls
Dokolo Technical School
Kabasanda Technical Institute
Sebei College,Tegeres
Koome Island Seed SS
Kasese SS
Mityana SS
Muntuyera High School