Kamuli, Uganda: Students have urged parents to embrace open communication and active involvement in their children’s education, saying poor dialogue at home continues to undermine learning outcomes and personal development.
The call was made during the Busoga Education Dialogue and Global Gateway Annual School Club Convention, held at Busoga High School, Kamuli, under the theme “Promoting Action: Parental Involvement in Education.”
The convention, organized by Enabel and Global Gateway, brought together parents, teachers, students, and education stakeholders to discuss challenges in the education system and showcase student innovations in life skills, entrepreneurship, and adolescent health.
Parents Urged to Take the Lead in Education
Mr. William Mubiru, the Enabel Education Programme Manager, emphasized that parental disengagement remains one of the biggest contributors to school dropouts and poor academic performance. “It is disheartening to find that many parents are disconnected from their children’s learning. Without active involvement, the desired education outcomes cannot be achieved,” Mubiru said.
He noted that Enabel is organizing regional dialogues and symposiums across Busoga, Rwenzori, Acholi, and West Nile, reaching over 6,000 parents to strengthen community participation in education.
Ms. Oliver Nambi, Headteacher of Busoga High School and Chairperson of the Kamuli Headteachers Association, commended Enabel and Global Gateway for their support but decried the limited parental appreciation of student-led innovation and life skills under the new curriculum.
“We are blessed to have Enabel and Global Gateway bridging gaps in education, but many parents still lack understanding of modern parenting and the value of student entrepreneurship. We also face persistent gaps in menstrual hygiene management and sexual reproductive health awareness,” she noted.
Students Speak Out
Students at the convention voiced concerns over the lack of career guidance, balancing academics with household duties, and difficulty discussing sensitive issues such as sexuality with their parents due to cultural barriers.
“We need our parents to listen, understand, and talk to us without judgment. When communication is open, we perform better and feel supported,” one student representative said during the dialogue.
Mr. Aaron Gwolaba, the Kamuli District Principal Education Officer, urged schools to adopt the new curriculum designed to promote skills development, productivity, and relevance in education. “Schools should create reflective, empathetic, and solution-oriented learning environments. Parents must also interact with teachers because they are co-parents in this journey,” Gwolaba stated.
Enabel, the Belgian development agency, is currently implementing a four-year project focused on improving access, retention, and completion rates in lower secondary schools, with a special focus on education quality, health, and skills development.
If you would like your article/opinion to be published on Uganda’s most authoritative news platform, send your submission on: [email protected]. You can also follow DailyExpress on WhatsApp and on Twitter (X) for realtime updates.
