Namutumba gets strategy to improve pupils’ performance

Mar 28, 2007

NAMUTUMBA district has adopted a new strategy aimed at improving the performance in schools.<br>The strategy involves a school-feeding programme for all primary school children.

By Aidah Nanyonjo

NAMUTUMBA district has adopted a new strategy aimed at improving the performance in schools.
The strategy involves a school-feeding programme for all primary school children.

The district secretary for education, Saleh Kumbuga, says the programme is compulsory for all the primary schools and is aimed at improving the educational standards.

“After the release of last year’s exams, we realised that studying on empty stomachs had affected the performance of most pupils. This is the reason why the district has come up with the feeding programme,” Kumbuga says.
Out of the 4,000 pupils who sat the Primary Leaving Examinations last year, only 92 passed in First Grade.

Kumbuga notes that the programme will only succeed if the communities participate in it. A parent is supposed to contribute five kilogrammes of maize for each pupil per term. Every child is supposed to take a cup of porridge at lunch-time.

Namutumba LC5 chairman Michael Saire says the district has also resolved to have P.6 and P.7 pupils as boarders in all Government-aided schools. This will enable pupils to get enough time to read their books and avoid unnecessary delays on the way to school.

Saire said sensitisation workshops for the new strategy are being carried out to involve both parents and teachers at the sub-county level.

“The district is holding workshops for headteachers, teachers, school committees and parents at the sub-county, to pave the way for the improvement of educational standards,” he said.

However the district education officer, Henry Magoma, said apart from poor feeding, inadequate Government funding towards educational programmes has also hindered the pupils’ performance.

“The sh250,000 given to each school per a month is too little to cover all the administration expenses. Underpaid teacher cannot be motivated to teach,” Magoma says.

He also said the inspectors of schools cannot do their work because they lack funds to monitor standards. Lack of monitoring has led to increased absenteeism of teachers.

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