DAWN ACADEMIES LIST IGANGA AMONG BEST PLE PERFORMERS
Dec 02, 2008
PROFILE<br><br>IT all started in 1995 when the ministry of education transferred Samuel Mpaabe and his wife Nakalembe from Iganga Girls Secondary School to a rural institution.
PROFILE
By George Bita
in Iganga district
IT all started in 1995 when the ministry of education transferred Samuel Mpaabe and his wife Nakalembe from Iganga Girls Secondary School to a rural institution.
Mpaabe and Nakalembe, both graduates of Makerere University, instead decided to start a school in Iganga district.
Almost 10 years later, the school which they set up basically for family survival now trains children of the elite from far and beyond.
Dawn Prime Academy, a mixed day and boarding school, is the first of its kind in Iganga.
Mpaabe says he was inspired by private schools in Kampala like Greenhill Academy and Kampala Parents School.
Records from the district education office reveal that since 2000, Dawn Prime Academy has featured among Iganga’s six best performing schools in Primary Leaving Examinations.
In 2000 it came fifth and in 2004, all the candidates passed in Divisions I and II. With time, the school became the second in the district and has maintained its place after Iganga Boys Boarding School.
Muzamir Menya, the Iganga district education officer, says: “Such schools are the ones everyone would gladly want to be associated with. I am proud of them.â€
Mpaabe says a feasibility study they conducted in the urban centre revealed that of the 500 people interviewed, the majority wanted primary school services availed to them.
“Our emphasis is on quality education. That is our contribution to society,†he says.
Mpaabe says the school’s excellent performance over the years has inspired many parents to take their children to Dawn Prime Academy.
“We established a mixed day primary school adjacent to Saza Road in Iganga town,†he says. “But it has been challenging as some parents wanted a day and boarding school. In fact, we were losing about 20 pupils to boarding schools each year because we did not have a boarding section until two years ago,†he narrates.
Mpaabe says the academy has a sister school in Iwawu village on the Jinja-Iganga highway, about 4km from Iganga town.
The schools are both referred to as Dawn Prime and they share a UNEB centre number, 002017. The parent school has 500 pupils and 32 teachers in the day section, while the parent school has 150 students and 14 teachers.
He says the training given to their students allows them to connect easily from primary to secondary levels.
The parent school accesses its water from boreholes. It also uses hydro-power electricity while the sister school depends on solar energy.
“The schools have two generators which the schools use during load shedding or when there is a low power supply,†Mpaabe says.
He says the co-curricular activities include chess, table tennis, volley ball, netball and football.
Mpaabe was born 50 years ago to James Isabirye and Thereza Nabirye in Namisambya village, Kamuli district.
He went to Butende Primary School, Namasagali College and Makerere University.
He has taught at Jinja Girls, Jinja Secondary School, Busoga College Mwiri, Makerere College School, Iganga S. S, Bukoyo S.S. and Bishop Willis Core PTC.
Mpaabe says his teaching experience has been instrumental in the success of the Dawn Prime academies.
By George Bita
in Iganga district
IT all started in 1995 when the ministry of education transferred Samuel Mpaabe and his wife Nakalembe from Iganga Girls Secondary School to a rural institution.
Mpaabe and Nakalembe, both graduates of Makerere University, instead decided to start a school in Iganga district.
Almost 10 years later, the school which they set up basically for family survival now trains children of the elite from far and beyond.
Dawn Prime Academy, a mixed day and boarding school, is the first of its kind in Iganga.
Mpaabe says he was inspired by private schools in Kampala like Greenhill Academy and Kampala Parents School.
Records from the district education office reveal that since 2000, Dawn Prime Academy has featured among Iganga’s six best performing schools in Primary Leaving Examinations.
In 2000 it came fifth and in 2004, all the candidates passed in Divisions I and II. With time, the school became the second in the district and has maintained its place after Iganga Boys Boarding School.
Muzamir Menya, the Iganga district education officer, says: “Such schools are the ones everyone would gladly want to be associated with. I am proud of them.â€
Mpaabe says a feasibility study they conducted in the urban centre revealed that of the 500 people interviewed, the majority wanted primary school services availed to them.
“Our emphasis is on quality education. That is our contribution to society,†he says.
Mpaabe says the school’s excellent performance over the years has inspired many parents to take their children to Dawn Prime Academy.
“We established a mixed day primary school adjacent to Saza Road in Iganga town,†he says. “But it has been challenging as some parents wanted a day and boarding school. In fact, we were losing about 20 pupils to boarding schools each year because we did not have a boarding section until two years ago,†he narrates.
Mpaabe says the academy has a sister school in Iwawu village on the Jinja-Iganga highway, about 4km from Iganga town.
The schools are both referred to as Dawn Prime and they share a UNEB centre number, 002017. The parent school has 500 pupils and 32 teachers in the day section, while the parent school has 150 students and 14 teachers.
He says the training given to their students allows them to connect easily from primary to secondary levels.
The parent school accesses its water from boreholes. It also uses hydro-power electricity while the sister school depends on solar energy.
“The schools have two generators which the schools use during load shedding or when there is a low power supply,†Mpaabe says.
He says the co-curricular activities include chess, table tennis, volley ball, netball and football.
Mpaabe was born 50 years ago to James Isabirye and Thereza Nabirye in Namisambya village, Kamuli district.
He went to Butende Primary School, Namasagali College and Makerere University.
He has taught at Jinja Girls, Jinja Secondary School, Busoga College Mwiri, Makerere College School, Iganga S. S, Bukoyo S.S. and Bishop Willis Core PTC.
Mpaabe says his teaching experience has been instrumental in the success of the Dawn Prime academies.