The Hoima City Principal Education Officer, Mr Johnson Kusiima Baingana, has urged parents, teachers and learners to partner and create alleyways aimed to improve academic performance since each party has a role to play to ensuring that formal education flies to greater heights in the area.
His appeal follows the low pupil turn up registered in the oil city schools on the first day of the opening of second academic term today (Monday), May 29, 2023.
He revealed that government schools recorded a small pupil turn up at 40 per cent despite the teachers’ attendance ready to conduct lessons.
Mr Baingana appreciated private schools that he said recorded better turn up at 60 per cent.
The educationist urged parents to send their children back to school on time since it is their responsibility lest the latter miss lessons that he said is detrimental to their future education status.
Parents need to send their children back to school because it is their [parents] responsibility and therefore, there is no need to force them to fulfil their role,” Mr Baingana said.
Mr Godfrey Mwesigwwa, the head teacher of Duhaga secondary school said that compared to the previous term, this term’s turn up on the first day of the opening of the second academic calendar was lower.
He disclosed that 800 out of 1,790 students in senior 4, 5 and 6 reported today, the number he said was less than that of the previous term.
The head teacher urges parents to send their children back to school since lessons began on the first day.
Mr Fred Musinguzi, the head teacher Duhaga Boys primary school, revealed that 825 out of 1,545 pupils turned up with 410 boys and 415 girls attending on the first day making it 54 per cent.
He attributed the low turn up to parents’ reluctance and poor mindset to send their children back to school on time.
“Some parents think that when these children report early to school, they will clean around the school, slash and do other activities yet it is not true. This is just their mindset. But, we ask parents to change that habit and send their children back to school on time,” Mr Musinguzi said.
The head teacher said, albeit the poor pupil turn up, teachers reporting to their duty station stood at 100 per cent with lessons starting normally.
Ms Harriet Kusemererwa, the head teacher of Hoima Public School, also said that pupil turn up was poor with 463 out of 1,573 pupils reporting on the first day. A total of 208 boys and 255 girls reported.
Like her counterpart head teachers, Ms Kusemererwa urges parents to send their children back to school.
