Kitgum Pupils Threaten to go to Court over Closure of their School

Primary seven pupils of Layamo Agwata Primary School in Kitgum have threatened to sue their District Education Officer for closing their school without considering their fate.
The pupils, who are preparing for the national Primary Leaving Examinations at the end of the year, say the closure of the school was an unnecessary inconvenience. They want the school opened immediately to enable them to cover the school syllabus in time for the examinations.
Layamo Agwata Primary School in Palabek-gem Sub-County was closed a month ago after reports of a demonic attack on the school. More than 60 children were allegedly beaten up by demons in the dead of the night.
The 15 P.7 pupils led by their representative, James Onek, have petitioned the District Education Officer to reopen the school by Friday this week. If this isn't done, they have threatened petitioned the office of the district education officer to re-open the school by Friday this week or risk being dragged to court.
Alfred Okaka, the District Education Officer, confirms receipt of the petition. He says the school was closed to protect the children's lives and was done at the request of the school's head teacher, Gladys Kal Okwera.
Okaka says Layamo Agwata Primary School will be closed until next term.
In the meantime several prayer meetings and traditional rituals have been conducted at the school to try to rid it of evil spirits. Residents of the area believe that victims of the Lord's Resistance Army have come back to haunt them. At the height of the rebel war, the school was a major battle field for the LRA.