Pallisa, Uganda: Pallisa District has recorded a significantly low turnout of pupils as schools reopened for Term One, raising concern among education authorities over persistent absenteeism at the start of academic terms.
District officials report that on average, about 80 percent of the 76 Universal Primary Education (UPE)-supported primary schools in Pallisa registered fewer than 300 learners each on the second day of term, far below the usual average of over 800 pupils per school.
The District Inspector of Schools, John Opedun, attributed the low attendance to what he described as the “traditional thinking” that the first week of term is reserved for registration and compound cleaning rather than teaching.
“We have consistently communicated to head teachers that teaching must begin on the very first day of term. I am happy to report that 90 percent of teachers were at their duty stations,” Opedun said.
He warned that wasted days at the beginning of term significantly affect learning outcomes. “This term has 89 official school days. If 14 days are wasted with full knowledge of parents, that is regrettable,” he added, noting that such losses accumulate across a pupil’s primary cycle.
CAO Orders Tight Monitoring
Pallisa Chief Administrative Officer, Alex Felix Majeme, said there is no justification for parents to keep children at home after the long holiday under the guise of looking for scholastic materials.
“UPE is one of the most funded government programmes, and value for that money must be reflected. On top of the routine work by the district education office headed by Ronald Omutujju, I have directed all Senior Assistant Chief Administrative Officers to intensify monitoring in their respective sub-counties,” Majeme said.
He also emphasized that no pupil should be chased away from school over feeding contributions, citing Ministry of Education and Sports guidelines that parents can pack food for their children or organize alternative arrangements.
“No child should be sent home over money collected in the name of feeding,” he stressed.
Security, Local Leaders Weigh In
Assistant Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Louis Patrick Okia warned that his office would take action against local leaders whose communities continue to treat education casually.
“We shall deal directly with leaders whose areas are not taking education seriously as a life-impacting project for children,” Okia said.
Meanwhile, Lilian Kizire, Senior Assistant Chief Administrative Officer (SACAO) of Akisim Sub-county, encouraged pupils at Opadoi Primary School to remain focused despite challenges.
“We were once like you, sometimes studying while hungry. Today, I can choose what to eat. Respect your teachers and work hard so you can replace us in these offices,” she told the learners.
Jerry Ogwang, LC I Chairperson of Akisim-Pasia Village, said the revised reporting date may have contributed to the low turnout. Schools were initially expected to reopen on February 4 but the date was pushed to February 10 due to the election season.
“I am not defending parents, but the change in reporting date from February 4 to February 10 should not be underestimated. Learners were used to reporting on Mondays, yet they resumed on Tuesday,” Ogwang said.
He pledged to mobilize parents to ensure children return to school equipped with the necessary materials.
Education officials have renewed calls for parents to prioritize school attendance from the first day of term to avoid syllabus backlog and poor performance at the end of the academic year.
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