Muyingo tips students on academic excellence

The State minister for Higher Education, Mr John Chrysostom Muyingo, has urged students to set academic goals at an early stage and work hard if they are to excel and pursue careers of their choice.

While officiating at the 56th anniversary celebrations for Uganda Martyrs Secondary School on July 21, Mr Muyingo, who served as the head teacher of the same school between 1992 and 2010, said it is not wise for learners to only start planning for their success during examination seasons.

The celebrations attended by students, parents, teachers, and alumni among other invited guests, were held under the theme, “Excellence Begins with You”.

“With determination, you will be encouraged to do something even when you don’t feel like doing it. Do the right thing at the right time. For whatever career you have in mind, whether you want to be an engineer, a doctor, or a teacher, always ask yourself on a daily basis what you need to do to achieve this,” he said.

He commended the staff and management of Uganda Martyrs SS Namugongo for working hard to uplift the performance and reputation of the school, which he said had enabled it to remain on a list of Uganda’s academic giants for decades.

Enrollment
Christ the King Church Vicar, who doubles as the chairman of the board of governors for Uganda Martyrs SS Namugongo, Monsignor Gerald Kalumba, said the excellent performance had attracted thousands of students to the school.

He represented the Archbishop of Kampala, Paul Semogerere, at the function.  

“Many parents call me, not all the time but sometimes; asking for places for their children to get admitted to this school for Senior One. I tell them I am not the head teacher. We normally admit only 600 students for Senior One, but we have more than 3,000 applications,” Msgr Kalumba said. 

“Currently, the total population of students stands at 3,000. Now imagine if we admitted 3,000 students for only Senior One!…this is why we have decided to establish a new campus such that many more students can have the opportunity to study in this great institution,” he added.

He revealed that the plan to establish a new branch of the school would be executed next year.
During the celebrations, a total of 170 learners from both Uganda Martyrs SS and Uganda Martyrs Primary School were confirmed and concentrated themselves to Mother Mary.  

 The head teacher of , said the theme for this year’s celebrations dubbed “Excellence Begins With You” guides stakeholders of the school to retrospect on their individual responsibility.

Rev Kasasa said the achievements made by the school originates from the seed of the Catholic faith, sown by the Uganda Martyrs, their patron saints.

“Naming our school after these saints is a blessing to each one of us. For through their intercession, much has been achieved in terms of academic determination, the spiritual, social and infrastructural interventions, “he said.

Uganda Martyrs SS is a private school that was founded in 1967.