Deputy Minister of Education and Vocational Training, Philip Mulugo

Central Secondary School owner in Dodoma Urban District Godwin Kigala has served a 90-day notice intending to sue the government for annulling the registration of the school.

The school had its registration annulled on May 1, this year, by Deputy Minister of Education and Vocational Training Philip Mulugo, when he visited the school to inspect the implementation of the orders he had issued before.

After banning the school, Mulugo posted the students to different privately owned secondary schools.

According to the notice drafted by Njulumi Advocates, the act was contrary to principles of good governance and violated the country's constitution.

Kigala said Mulugo had no legal powers to instruct the closure of the school at best he could only give advice.

The notice highlighted that to help the government not to incur huge costs by paying the school owner once the case was filed at the High Court, the Attorney General office should advise the government to withdraw its decision to close and deregister the school.

According to a letter from the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training dated May 11, this year, to the school, it read that between April 11 and 17, this year, general inspection was conducted at the school during which several shortfalls were discovered.

“Among the shortfalls included running a school without a manager contrary to section 60(1)(b) of the Education Act No. 25 of 1978 (Cap 353) as amended from time to time," reads the letter, a copy of which was made available to this paper.

Furthermore, it came to light that the lease on which the school was sitting came to its end since 1978.

The letter, therefore, concluded that because of the shortfalls, the school was being closed and its registration annulled effective from June 1, this year.