UMSC Education Secretary urges stronger partnerships to improve Muslim schools in West Buganda

Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) Secretary for Education Sheikh Juma Bakhit Cucu has called for stronger collaboration between Muslim-founded schools and the UMSC Education Department, urging institutions to boost community mobilisation, increase enrolment and improve education standards.

The Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) Secretary for Education, Sheikh Juma Bakhit Cucu, has called on Muslim-founded schools to strengthen collaboration with the UMSC Education Department and intensify community mobilisation efforts to improve enrolment and enhance the quality of education.

Sheikh Cucu made the remarks during an inspection tour of UMSC-founded and Muslim-founded educational institutions in Kalungu Local Government District under Masaka Muslim District in the West Buganda Muslim Region.

The inspection began with an unannounced visit to Bajja Community Primary School, a privately owned Muslim-founded institution, where he toured the facilities and held discussions with the Headteacher, Mr. Kayinga Isma.

While commending the school's founders for investing in infrastructure and contributing to the education of young people, Sheikh Cucu expressed concern over the institution's low enrolment levels despite having the capacity to accommodate more learners.

"The school has good facilities and a conducive learning environment. What is needed now is stronger community mobilisation so that more parents enrol their children here instead of taking them to distant schools," Sheikh Cucu said.

He encouraged the school management to work closely with the UMSC Education Department to benefit from available programmes and initiatives aimed at improving education standards in Muslim-founded institutions.

The Education Secretary later visited Kabukunge Primary Teachers' College, a UMSC-founded institution established in the late 1970s before it was phased out by the Ministry of Education in recent years.

During the visit, Sheikh Cucu inspected the ageing structures and observed that several buildings could be renovated and repurposed to continue supporting the education sector.

He also viewed the foundation stone commemorating the commissioning of the college's female dormitory in 1985 by the then Chief Kadhi of Uganda, His Eminence Sheikh Abdu Obeid Kamulegeya. The dormitory was constructed using funds mobilised by UMSC from the World Muslim League in Saudi Arabia.

At the former college, Sheikh Cucu also visited the health unit, where medical personnel Ms. Madinah Mukasa and Ms. Nakubulwa Anita raised concerns over shortages of medicines and medical supplies.

The health workers explained that although the facility, which now operates under Kabukunge Muslim Secondary School, continues to serve surrounding communities, it no longer receives medical supplies from the Uganda Muslim Medical Bureau (UMMB) as it did in the past.

"Despite serving the surrounding communities, we have continued operating without the medicines and other support we previously received from the Uganda Muslim Medical Bureau," the health workers told the Education Secretary.

In response, Sheikh Cucu pledged to forward the concerns to the Uganda Muslim Medical Bureau for further consideration and possible intervention.

The inspection tour concluded at Kabukunge Muslim Secondary School, another UMSC-founded institution, where Sheikh Cucu was received by the Deputy Headteacher, Mr. Oryema Abdu Tarieq Azziz.

The visit highlighted the importance of strengthening partnerships between Muslim-founded institutions, communities and education stakeholders to improve learning environments and expand access to quality education.