She started getting sexual advances from two teachers in her school, and she gave in.



She was a pretty, intelligent and an organised girl. Sarah (not real name) would always be the best in academic performance in her class, and had been appointed to take charge of the school's library.



______________________________





Most of her colleagues in Kakumiro Public primary school knew she was destined for success. However, her life took a U-turn, months before she sat for Primary Leaving Examinations. She started getting sexual advances from two teachers in her school. Sarah gave in, and later got pregnant and infected with HIV.



She failed to hold any of the two teachers accountable, saying she did not know the father of her unborn baby. Fifteen years later, she is a mother of four and a peasant in Kibaale district.



Sarah is just an example of almost 82% of secondary school students and 77% primary schools who are being sexually abused in the country's schools, according to a study by the education ministry.



This implies that thousands of students are being sexually molested in the country. There are 1,391,250 students in secondary schools and 8,772,655 primary pupils in Uganda's schools.



The findings are part of the studies that have been done by the education ministry. They were revealed at the launch of the National Strategic Plan on violence against children in schools (2015-2020) during the educator annual sector review in Kampala last week.



But surprisingly, 67% of the sexual perpetrators are male and 5% are female. Other studies by the education ministry have also suggested that multiple sexual partnerships are common among teachers involving learners, fellow teachers, workers, communities and education managers for cash, promotion, and favors relating to transfers among others.



Studies clearly show that some of these teachers have groomed a rotten vice of sleeping with their students. The 2014 national study on ‘Assessing Child Protection Safety and Security Issues for children in Uganda' found out that 24% of the teenage pregnancy, early marriages and defilement are by teachers.



Making reference to the specific types of sexual violence suffered by girls and boys, in both primary and secondary, it emerged that eight percent are subjected to defilement, 34% are spoken to in sexual way, 18% receive marriage proposals, and 25% are fondly touched in a sexual manner, while 29% are made to watch sexual scenes (pornography).



Nonetheless, general violence against children in schools is widespread and children are subjected different other forms of violence.



Corporal punishment was found to be common in schools with seven out of every ten children subjected to caning by teachers, apparently, under the pretext of pushing them to attain higher academic grades.



A total of 82% of children were made to do difficult work such as digging, slashing and fetching water at school as punishment to "instill discipline".



Bullying was found to be common in schools with 43% of children experiencing the vice. The prevalence of bullying was nevertheless found to be higher in primary (46%), compared to secondary schools (31%), and children from poor families and those with disabilities were affected more.



Four out of every ten children experienced emotional abuse by their teacher.

Children with disabilities were often labeled as ‘unintelligent" by their teachers and fellow children, resulting in poor self-esteem and self-image- aspects that could easily trigger dropouts.



School fires were also cited as emerging form of violence in schools, whereby lives of children are lost and property destroyed.



Uganda is worst in East Africa



Of the three founding members of the East African Community (EAC), Uganda was found to have worst record of violence against children.



The situational analysis noted that whole violence against children in schools is a serious concern in Southern and Eastern Africa, violence in Ugandan schools is higher a rather increasing at a faster rate compared to schools in neighboring Kenya and Tanzania.



For instance, it was recognized that sexual harassment among pupils in Uganda was 41% in 2001 and this increased to 58% in 2007 and up to averagely 79.5% (secondary and primary) as of today.



Psychologists' views



The teachers, inability to resist the temptations of young students indicates something deeply wrong emotionally, psychologists say.



The problem of child sexual abuse, according to Ali Male, a counseling psychologist, "has a psychological explanation."



"Most head teachers and teachers are males who may not be getting enough marital satisfaction. They, therefore, get psychologically stressed and resolve the problem by targeting the girls who convenient targets for them," he explains.



Male also adds that proximity between the teachers and the learners is partly to blame. "Due to proximity, teachers develop fantasies in the minds of having sex with the girls," Male says, noting that it is these fantasies finally manifest in physical sexual abuse.



He notes that transition from childhood to adolescence, commonly known as pseudo-maturity, comes with heightened libido.



"This libido is accompanied by some behavioural tendencies which may be disturbing to teachers. Such behaviours include wearing; make-up, ill-fitting attire and sitting badly in class," he cites.



Male, however, contends that despite such provocations, teachers should be mature enough to exercise self-restraint.



Causes of violence



The education ministry identified the persistence of harmful religious and cultural beliefs such as child marriages, child labour and female genital mutilation as a perpetrator and perpetuator of violence against children.



The archaic societal acceptance of violence against children as part of the learning process and enforcing discipline has also been cited as another cause of the vice.



Collapse of traditional social networks or systems was also blamed for undermining the moral values and standards, as well as the family supports that provided the basis for collective responsibility in ensuring the growth, safety and security of children.



"Immoral behavior and practices such as violence in families and communities often manifests itself in the school setting too as children learn violent behavior," stated the situational analysis.



Poverty was found to be a catalyst of vulnerability of children to various forms of violence, especially sexual violence- most notably in cases where young girls engage in transactional sex with teachers, school staff or other adults.



Age and gender were identified as the underlying risk factors of violence in schools with older girls established as being more vulnerable to sexual violence, while the older boys more vulnerable to extreme forms of physical punishment yet the younger children were at the risk of beating and bullying.



Children with disability are said to be at an increased risk of violence as they are bullied, ridiculed and stigmatized yet they may face difficulties in defending themselves.



Limited capacity of key ministries manifested in resources constraints, weak coordination, limited appreciation of their obligations and technical competencies and lack of a comprehensive, harmonized reporting and feedback mechanisms was cited as a cause of violence against children.



The biggest immediate contributor to factors behind violence children was found to be increasing levels of drug and substance abuse among children and teachers.



Also cited was parents and teachers' perception and inability to consider some forms of violence such as physical and emotional abuse in schools as serious forms of violence against children unless they have gone to extreme.



Implicated was equally the lack of confidence among children to prevent and protect themselves against violence. This behavior is however associated with low levels of reporting cases of violence and poor support service seeking character among children in school.



Impact



Violence against children, it was established undermined scholars' security and safety in schools, on top of inflicting pain and fear.



Violence in school was also found to be a threat to -children's retention and performance, right to education, right protection and right to development.



The education ministry also associates violence against children with several psychological and emotional negative effects; thereby, undermining the child's self-esteem which damages her or his potential to take advantage of the existing learning opportunities.



It was noted that there are cases of children that have suffered serious physical injuries including permanent disabilities, and mental damage as a result of violence.



Children have also been reported to commit suicide in school due to extreme emotional and physical torture.



Ministry speaks



While launching the national strategic plan on violence against children in Ugandan schools the education minister Jessica Alupo said the vice was among the challenges the education sector was grappling with.



She said her ministry was committed to develop and implement safe, non-violent and inclusive learning environment in schools.



The minister however, noted that creating a safe and conducive learning environment was a shared responsibility and that the education sector would strengthen the partnership among related institutions in fighting the vice.



"The overall goal of the national strategic plan is to ensure that measures are in place to prevent, protect and respond to violence against children," said Alupo.



The education ministry developed the strategic plan in conjunction with schools, teachers, inspectors, district education officers, probation and welfare officers, police, ministry of gender, local governments, traditional and religious leaders and civil society.



The development of the strategic plan was funded by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).



Elizabeth Gabona, who commented on behalf of the permanent secretary of the education ministry, said a safe learning environment was one of the fundamental human rights of children.



Gabona noted that most forms of violence against children in school were perpetrated by teaching and non-teaching staff; that have an obligation to protect children under their care.



Experts' views



Jimmy Tumwebaze, the Management advisor, skilling Uganda reform task force says: "



"Some of these students come from societies where life is all about self-defense, if they are disturbed, they first thing they think about is fighting back."



Benson Kule, the Commissioner, Secondary education says that the causes of violence vary and can be dealt with by sensitizing students, teachers and parents about the causes and dangers.



"Children need to know their rights and obligations. Usually by the time children are involved in violence, they have been guided by adults, or even experienced violence at home.



Schools should involve parents in disciplining children. For instance, parents can be called to school and requested to follow up and monitor the child's behavior while at home."



Rev. Fr. John Byamukama from the Ugandan Joint Christian Council says that violence against learners undermines their security and inflicts pain and fear unto them, leading to a decline in their performance.



"A school is a second home to the learners; therefore they should find it comfortable as an area of growth. They can only be able to grow if they are motivated and loved. Inflicting violence on the children makes schools hotspots for fear and they in the long run drop out," he says.



Kellen Niwamanya, the Assistant Commissioner, Directorate of Education standards says that schools need to have peer counselors to guide and counsel children that have been abused.



"Children should be sensitized on the dangers of going to their teachers' homes, and also encouraged to move in groups. Most of the girls raped on their way home," she says.



Masitula Nantogo, the headteacher, Nakigo Nubuwat Primary school in Iganga says that schools should utilize PIASCY programs and share the messages to their children, in order to avoid sexual harassment.



"It is good to empower the children with the information. We need to help them understand their body changes and how these changes can affect their lifestyle," she says.



Parents' views



Augustine Muserero a parent from Kasese says that parents have concentrated more on their businesses and give very little time to their families, leaving their children to be educated and nurtured by the internet, televisions and housemaids.



"I used to interact with my children and I understood what was going on in their lives. That has ceased. The cultural and moral values that used to be given to these children by their parents are no longer given," he says.

