MP Kaala rewards Pallisa’s best PLE candidates

Pallisa, (UG):- The 78 candidates who scored Division One in the 2024 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) in Pallisa District have been rewarded by the District Woman Member of Parliament, Hon. Kaala Kevin Ojinga.

The top PLE performers went home with mattresses and blankets, courtesy of the woman MP, a pledge she made to them during her campaign trails.

In her speech at the ceremony held at Pallisa Town Council Grounds on Friday, Hon. Kaala emphasized that this initiative, now in its third edition, will continue throughout her term in Parliament. She also appealed to the people of Pallisa to entrust her with another term to implement more programs.

“I am honestly not like other politicians who seek public recognition for their contributions. I support many Pallisa patients referred to Mulago Hospital, and they appreciate my help,” she stated.

Hon Kaala further urged parents to enrol their children in schools they can afford, a way that will relieve of the financial burden.

“I sometimes feel disheartened when parents, excited by their children’s good performance, enrol them in expensive schools they cannot afford, only to withdraw them after one term due to financial constraints. Take your children to affordable government schools,” she said.

“I also attended rural schools like Kamuge Primary School and Bugwere High, just as my husband, Lawrence Ojinga, studied at Kaucho Primary School in Pallisa, yet we made it to Makerere University,” she added.

Mr Galandi Alpha, the head teacher of Odwarat Primary School, commended Hon. Kaala for also recognizing teachers, saying that such gestures will serve as motivation for others.

Mr Omutuju Ronald, the Pallisa District Education Officer (DEO), challenged all stakeholders to play their roles in supporting children’s education. He noted an improvement in performance, as only 600 out of 6,094 candidates failed compared to 1,000 failures the previous year.

“I appreciate Hon. Kaala for rewarding teachers who helped candidates excel. However, I urge MPs to fulfil their pledge of providing a multipurpose printer to ease the production of test scripts for learners,” Mr Omutuju said.

He also called on private school proprietors to accept all children, regardless of their academic status. He pointed out that some private schools reject slow learners, forcing them into government schools, which disrupts their performance due to environmental changes.

In response, MP Kaala acknowledged that only three of the five MPs from Pallisa had fulfilled their pledge but assured that she would push for the machine’s purchase before the end of their tenure.

Mr Okia John, the Principal Assistant Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), urged MP Kaala to collaborate with other leaders to advocate for increasing the teacher ceiling in public schools. He noted that Pallisa has a shortage of 500 teachers, leading to overcrowded classrooms, where one teacher handles up to 200 pupils.

“Several factors contribute to poor performance, including inadequate scholastic materials, lack of feeding programs, and pupil indiscipline. Many students loiter in trading centres and engage in drug abuse,” Okia observed.

Meanwhile, Hajjat Aisha Nkusi, the Pallisa Deputy Resident District Commissioner, who presided over the event, warned head teachers against extorting money from parents in government-aided schools.

“The President introduced Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Universal Secondary Education (USE) to support underprivileged parents. If you agree with parents in meetings about any contributions, do not involve children by sending them away from school. Instead, use School Management Committees (SMCs), Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), or designated task forces to engage parents directly,” Mrs. Nkusi cautioned.

Isa Emorut, the manager of Team Kaala, praised the MP for fulfilling her pledges. “Many leaders struggle to keep their campaign promises, but Kaala follows through. She is the only MP who has invested in chairs for social functions, which is why I urge the people of Pallisa to re-elect her,” he stated.