By Chris Mugasha and Hillary Keingana
BUSHENYI, Uganda: Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa has urged students to prioritise education and avoid excessive social media use, particularly TikTok, warning that distractions can undermine their academic progress and future success.
Tayebwa made the remarks while serving as the chief guest at a fundraising drive for St. Kagwa Day and Boarding Primary School in Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality. The school is raising Shs2.1 billion to complete a three-storey building that will accommodate classrooms, administrative offices, laboratories and a 1,500-seat main hall.
Drawing from his childhood experiences, Tayebwa encouraged pupils to work hard and take advantage of the educational opportunities available to them.
“I was around 14 years old when I first saw a tarmac road. I am seeing these pupils here with school shoes, but we used to walk barefoot. If I had not worked hard, I would not be the important person that I am today,” he said.
He cautioned learners against spending excessive time on TikTok and other social media platforms at the expense of their studies.
“I ask you young students/pupils to study hard because you are still young instead of wasting time dancing on TikTok. You should stop that because after studying, you will reach far,” Tayebwa added as addressed pupils, parents, teachers, old students of the school and well-wishers who turned up to support the school.
In a lighthearted moment that drew laughter from the audience, the Deputy Speaker underscored the lasting value of education, joking that even when an educated person fails to secure a job or develops bad habits, “you at least become drunk in English.”
Tayebwa also commended the partnership between government, the Church, parents and private investors in supporting Uganda’s education sector.
The school’s head teacher, Celestine Twinomugisha, said the construction project was a parent-led initiative aimed at improving the school’s learning environment and infrastructure.
Of the Shs2.1 billion required, parents have already contributed Shs1.3 billion, leaving a funding gap of Shs800 million.
Twinomugisha said the first floor of the building had been completed. Once finished, the facility will include a nursery section, science and computer laboratories, a boardroom, alumni offices and administrative space for the school’s 86 staff members.
St. Kagwa School’s Legacy in Bushenyi
Founded in 1945 as a Church-established institution, St. Kagwa Primary School is among the notable government-aided Universal Primary Education (UPE) schools in Bushenyi District. The school has a population of approximately 1,200 pupils and is recognized both nationally and locally for its academic performance.
Twinomugisha commended Dr. Eng. Silver Mugisha, the Managing Director of the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), who served as the fundraising drive’s chief organiser, for mobilizing support towards the school’s development project. End.
