PLE: Busoga schools score better grades

Schools in Busoga Sub-region posted improved performance in the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) results that were released on July 16.
Despite schools being closed last year in March and again early this year to combat the spread of Covid-19, and the challenges that learners, teachers and parents have endured, government schools, popularly known as “UPE schools” in Busoga did better than the previous year.
In Buyende District, for example, of the 4,801 candidates, 175 got First Grade in 2020 PLE results that were released, up from 89 in the previous year; while absentees were 77, down from 123.
Mr Dison Bwire, the Buyende District education officer, disclosed that while the public was worried that the education system was disrupted, the learners and teachers beat the odds that were stacked against them and put up “an all-star performance”.
Buyende scaled up parents’ mobilisation, supervision of home-learning and an intensive campaign against child labour and absenteeism. The interventions that happened before the lockdown, saw any parent whose child was absent or found at home charged with community service.
“We posted reduced failures and absentees having made use of the home-learning materials as opposed to the radios and TVs which were inaccessible as none of the schools had power,” Mr Bwire said.
In Kamuli Municipality, of the 2,130 candidates, 310 scored First Grade and had a pass rate of 92 per cent, while Kamuli main that had 9,955 pupils, got 461 in First Grade, up from 421 in 2019.
Mr Joseph Waibi, the district education officer, named the leading schools in First Grades as Namulikya (40), Mirengeiso (21), Wesunire Catholic (18), St Benedict Irundu (13), and Namukunyu (11).
While congratulating teachers, candidates and stakeholders, Mr Waibi described the moment as “a challenge to reflect on the past, forge a better tomorrow and continue to be more focused”.
After it emerged over the past seven years that Busoga was the worst-performing sub-region in the country, in  November 2018, the then Speaker of Parliament, Ms Rebecca Kadaga, launched a campaign dubbed: Busoga Education Initiative (BEI), which aims at improving the quality of education in the sub-region.
BEI works in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Sports, together with other development partners and non-governmental organisations (NGOS) such as World Vision, Teach for Uganda and Plan International.
The campaign aims at mobilising resources to facilitate teaching and learning, improve facilities in schools, fight teenage pregnancies and reduce school dropout rate.
Twenty-two schools that registered the highest failure rate in the sub-region in 2017 were selected as model schools from the 11 districts of Busoga (two per district).
The 2020 PLE results have seen an improvement among the schools, for example, Bwiwula Primary School (Mayuge), which had no first grade in 2017, this time, registered nine first grades and 48 second grades out of 97 pupils who sat the exam.
Kagogwa Primary School (Jinja), which was the worst-performing school countrywide in 2017, this time had more than 75 per cent of its pupils passing in grade one and two compared to 2017 where no pupil got a First Grade, while more than 80 per cent were ungraded.
Ms Agnes Kadama Kalibbala, the BEI chairperson, said although these results may not look good compared to other schools in the country, there is a big improvement compared to 2017.
“In 2017, we had no First Grade and more than 80 per cent of the pupils were ungraded in the 22 model schools. In 2019, we got seven in First Grade, while in 2020, we registered 13 first grades, which is an improvement. I am very happy that we are systematically improving process by process,’’ she said.
“When you look at the performance in Busoga generally, since 2017, we have climbed several ladders. In 2017, Busoga was the last in the whole country. In 2019, we improved a bit and in 2020, we were certainly not among the worst-performing districts, with the exception of Bugiri,’’ she added.
Mr Waibi attributed the improvement of the performance to good mobilisation and facilitation by development partners, including Plan International, International Development Institute-Uganda (IDI-U), Cordaid and Busoga Kingdom.
IDI-U provided home-learning materials, masks, food, handwashing facilitis, and media mobilisation.
“The Education department acknowledges the great contribution of development partners towards re-entry, enrolment and retention of learners in schools through creation of school-friendly environments, promotion of life skills, community involvement and participation, resulted in improved retention and completion,” Mr Waibi said.
Mr Joseph Musoke, the Kamuli Municipality education officer, said despite the lockdown, the performance improved from 10.2 per cent to 12.6 per cent, and more importantly, the community embraced education with even some community leaders returning to school.
Mr Ntoniyo Ikalu, a 45-year-old father of four and the chairperson of Bulema Zone in Northern Division, enroled in school, sat for PLE at Kings Glory Primary School in Kamuli District and scored Aggregate 27.
Mr Godfrey Samanya, the permanent secretary to the Kyabazinga of Busoga and retired head teacher, clarified that the results show “persistence” and “sustained interest” of both the learners, teachers and parents in education.
This, he said, is because either group would have taken advantage of the lockdown to stay out of school, but even in the long vacation, the learners returned as soon as schools reopened.
“The pandemic has provided us with an opportunity to realise that parents, learners and teachers now value education. Learners are now committed to enrol, stay and complete school as exemplified by the good PLE results,” Mr Samanya said.
What they say...
“When you look at the performance in Busoga generally, since 2017, we have climbed several ladders. In 2017, Busoga was the last in the whole country. In 2019, we improved a bit and in 2020, we were certainly not among the worst-performing districts,’’ Agnes Kadama Kalibbala, BEI chairperson.
Partners.
“The Education department acknowledges the great contribution of development partners towards re-entry, enrolment and retention of learners in schools through creation of school-friendly environments, promotion of life skills, and  community involvement,’’ Joseph Waibi, Kamuli DEO.
Opportunity.
“The pandemic has provided us with an opportunity to realise that parents, learners and teachers now value education. Learners are now committed to enrol, stay and complete school as exemplified by the good PLE results,” Mr Godfrey Samanya, the permanent secretary to the Kyabazinga of Busoga.
Failures.
“We posted reduced failures and absentees having made use of the home-learning materials as opposed to the radios and TVs which were inaccessible as none of the schools had power,” Mr Dison Bwire, the Buyende District education officer.
Compiled by Tausi Nakato, Sam Opio Caleb & Philip Wafula