UHST helps Humanist High Schools to rescue Primary Schools

We should like to thank UHST supporters for enabling us to buy two failed primary schools. It was difficult to ignore appeals from the Directors of Isaac Newton and Mustard Seed Humanist High Schools, which had, in turn, been petitioned by members of their local communities. The attached photograph shows parents from Kateera village meeting Peter Kisirinya to plead with him to save their local primary school.

A similar meeting took place in Busota, where local families pressed for Moses Kamya to turn their failed primary school into one run on the lines of the Humanist high school, which has become much respected in the area. 

We received donations of £38,000 which, with a bequest from the will of Thelma Taylor, a long-term supporter of our charity, made it possible to buy the two schools. 

There is still a lot to do to bring them up to standard. However, there is enough money to make a good start on this. We have worked out a programme to refurbish the schools, improve the water supply, construct decent toilets, appoint teachers with some pay in advance so they can have some confidence that they will be looked after. Each school needs a playground for the little ones and books, educational toys and learning materials.

Families in the two communities are delighted. They have seen the difference that Humanist schools, based on reason, compassion and tolerance, can make to their children and indeed to the whole community around them and they will do all they can to support the new schools.

The last two years have seen a step change for UHST and the Humanist school movement in Uganda. We are important partners of two Humanist high schools and four Humanist primary schools and are helping to support new schools as they come along. Reports will be sent out in the next few days on developments at the Katumba and Kanungu Schools, near the Congo border.

I would like to say a big thank you for supporting these ground-breaking Humanist Schools in Uganda. Perhaps they will become a model for other countries. The second photograph shows happy children from the rescued primary school visiting the campus of Isaac Newton High School.