ZOMBO, UGANDA: Leaders in Nyapea Sub-county, Zombo District, have unveiled a coordinated intervention strategy aimed at reversing persistently poor performance in Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE), rallying stakeholders to drive urgent education reforms.
The initiative targets improved outcomes for Primary Seven candidates under the Uganda National Examinations Board, with authorities citing years of underperformance as a major concern.
Nyapea Sub-county Chief Peter Sumba Jawothu said the campaign seeks to mobilise all actors—including teachers, parents, School Management Committees, and development partners—to take collective responsibility.
“We have analysed previous PLE results, and all stakeholders must now address the issue of low performance,” Sumba said during a one-day education baraza.
Data from the district education department shows Nyapea has consistently ranked among the poorest-performing sub-counties over the past decade, recording only four Division One candidates between 2015 and 2025, with the majority falling in lower divisions or going ungraded.
The trend reflects the wider district crisis, with Zombo ranked 173rd out of 176 districts nationally in the 2025 PLE results.
Zombo Performance in PLE Results 2025
Division Two: 635
Division Three: 1,008
Division Four: 459
Ungraded: 610
Division X (did not sit): 31
Zombo District Senior Education Officer Patrick Bikadho Othuma outlined immediate interventions, including teacher capacity building, increased supervision, and establishment of ICT centres to support professional development.
Development partners such as Fields of Life, SPACE, and Life Concern pledged support in improving learning environments, constructing teachers’ houses, and strengthening teacher training.
Emmy Kizito Kakura urged focus on examination literacy, noting that many learners struggle to interpret exam questions. “A lot of candidates fail not because they don’t know, but because they don’t understand the language of examinations,” he said.
Leaders also highlighted social challenges undermining education, particularly teenage pregnancies and school dropout. District figures indicate 3,896 cases of teenage pregnancies between 2024 and 2025, with dropout rates estimated at 10 percent.
Zombo LC V Chairperson James Uruna Uyullu pledged recruitment of more teachers to address staffing gaps, especially among Grade III teachers.
Resident District Commissioner Festus Ayikobua described the intervention as a turning point, announcing follow-up evaluation barazas in the next school term.
Stakeholders agreed on key actions, including community-level mobilisation, enforcement against pupil absenteeism, career guidance, and curriculum-focused teacher training.
The district is also finalising an Education Ordinance aimed at strengthening standards, while institutions such as the Alur Kingdom and civil society groups including LICO, Nebbi NGO Forum, CEFORD, and MEMPROW, continue to roll out complementary education programmes.
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