As plans to enhance education standards take shape in Nakaseke District, a bold move by the local leadership has sparked widespread attention and debate.
The initiative, spearheaded by the District LCV Chairman Ignatius Koomu, involved administering exams to headteachers and classroom teachers as a measure to assess and improve the quality of teaching.
The move is part of a broader strategy to ensure that students are better prepared to excel in the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE).
In a recent development, the Deputy Secretary General of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), Rosemary Namayanja, expressed her support for Koomu’s actions, stressing the need for accountability in the education sector.
Namayanja’s backing comes in the wake of the district’s decision to demote four headteachers due to the poor performance of their candidates in the 2023 PLE.
Additionally, the results from the mock exams administered to 52 teachers revealed a significant disparity in competency, with scores ranging from 27 to 92 marks, further highlighting the need for targeted interventions to uplift educational outcomes.
Despite objections from the Ministry of Education and Sports, the Public Service Commission, and the Uganda National Teachers Union, Koomu announced new targets for the 2024 Primary Leaving Examinations on Monday.
Koomu stated that headteachers and teachers must ensure that at least 90% of their students pass the PLE this year, or they will face the same consequences as before.
He added that teachers who fail to meet these targets will have to attend refresher courses, and if they still don’t improve, they will be required to explain to the District Service Commission why they shouldn’t be dismissed.
Silvester Ssemujju, the headteacher of St. Kizito Kijjaguzo Primary School, acknowledged that the pressure to improve results is paying off, and they expect better PLE outcomes in the coming years.
“The strategy is about ensuring that teachers and headteachers are fully committed to delivering good results. Right now, we are under pressure to teach effectively so that our students pass the PLE,” Ssemujju explained.
Rosemary Namayanja Nsereko, the Deputy Secretary General of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party, supported Koomu’s efforts, stating that his focus on improving education results is justified.
She stressed that teachers are crucial in helping students achieve academic success.
Namayanja also highlighted that since the National Resistance Army war ended in 1986, the government has made significant contributions to the education sector, but some teachers have not lived up to expectations, a concern that Koomu is addressing.
Namayanja pointed out that the results from the exams given to teachers showed that there is still much improvement needed if students are to succeed in the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE).
She noted that Koomu’s strategies, rooted in his experience as a former teacher, are aimed at raising the educational standards in the district.
During a meeting with children and their parents, who are sponsored by her Foundation, at her home in Bukakala village, Semuto sub-county, on Monday, Namayanja introduced an academic trophy that will be awarded to the best Universal Primary Education (UPE) school in the 2024 PLE.
She also announced that her Foundation would provide free PLE practice papers to all UPE schools in Nakaseke to help students prepare for the exams.
Namayanja’s Foundation currently supports 120 children with bursaries for Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary education.
According to the 2023 PLE results for Nakaseke, 604 candidates (12.9%) passed in the first division, 2,706 candidates (57.9%) in the second division, 728 candidates (15.6%) in the third division, and 361 candidates (7.7%) in the fourth division.
However, 276 candidates (5.6%) failed, and 138 candidates (2.9%) of the 4,813 who registered did not sit for the exams.
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