Doofus Of The Day #494

Courtesy of a link at Dr. Grumpy's place, we learn of a school in Uganda with a novel reminder of its timetable.

A mine awareness team in Uganda were horrified to find an unexploded bomb being used as a bell when they visited a school to teach children how to spot bombs, a local newspaper reported.

The Anti-Mine Network organisation saw teachers banging the bomb with stones to call children to lessons in a 700-pupil school in a rural area, the Daily Monitor said.

"Its head was still active, which means that if it is hit by a stronger force, it would explode instantly and cause untold destruction in the area," Wilson Bwambale, coordinator of the organisation, told the newspaper.

. . .

This is the second bomb that the Anti-Mine Network have found in a Ugandan school in the last six months. Another was found being used by children at lunchtime as a toy and put away in a storeroom during lessons.

There's more at the link. Bold print is my emphasis.

I must admit to being more than usually mind-boggled by the stupidity of the school authorities. Uganda's seen enough violence and destruction over the past few decades (what with Idi Amin's brutal rule, the violent overthrow of his regime, and the terrorism of the Lord's Resistance Army) that I thought its people would surely recognize explosive devices when they see them, and be suitably cautious in handling them! Clearly, I was mistaken . . .





Peter