Woman returns to Primary School 40 years after dropping out

Oct 03, 2016

The grandmother of three dropped out from Okwang Primary School in 1974 due to lack of money to pay school fees and got married

Despite her advanced age, Aidah Akao believes education is paramount in the current setting.

It is because of this that she has chosen to return to primary school after dropping out 40 years ago.

Akao, 58, who has three grandchildren, opted to join primary four at Lira Integrated School after dropping out from primary six four decades ago.

"Age doesn't matter about education but death is the end of all struggles on earth," she told New Vision.

"I faced a lot of problems in communicating with visitors because my children bring visitors who don't understand our local language (luo)" she said about her motivation to return to school.

Akao dropped out from Okwang Primary School in 1974 due to lack of money to pay school fees and got married to Rev. George William Otim of St Augustine Barogole Church of Uganda in Lira Municipality.

The mother of seven entered primary four in 2014 with the aid of her husband, Rev. Otim, 63, who is meeting all the costs.

Rev Otim said it was an agreement between them for her to return to school and he made a commitment to pay the fees.

"We agreed together and she trekked back to school," he said.

 

In Akao`s class, she sits near a colleague, Isabella Namuge in a class of 43 pupils.

"We sit on the same desk and sometimes she helps me," Akao said.

When she joined, Akao could not read and write well due to her prolonged spell out of school.

"It was due to our initiative that she can now speak and write well," said Dickens Apelo, the headmaster.

Akao is targeting a degree in catering and hotel management.  

"My studying is not to look for jobs but I need exposure in the academic field," she said.  

"I want to challenge young people that education is so important and it has no limit even if you are of advanced age," she added.

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