(This article was first published on the New Vision website on February 18, 2023)
By Hudson Apunyo
Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, the Health Minister who is also a Member of Parliament for Lira City, has supported the best two pupils from each primary school in Lira City.
A boy and girl from each school got a mattress and a bar of soap. Those who got aggregate 04 and 05 got in addition, a suitcase.
Teachers whose students performed well, parents and head teachers were also rewarded with transport refund and a piece of kitenge cloth.
This is the second time Dr. Aceng is rewarding the best pupils. Last year, she gave out suitcases, soap, and mattresses to the best 100 best pupils.
Dr. Aceng who was warmly welcomed by supporters and parents, says she is appreciative of the recently released PLE results showing Lira City performing well.
She says she gave the token of appreciation to encourage the pupils and lessen the burden on the parents.
Dr. Aceng commended the head teachers for their efforts that have seen Lira City on the map of best performers.
Aceng calls on the teachers in public schools to change their attitudes and be committed like those in private schools.
Tom Ronald Omara, the City inspector of schools says they will continue to excel as a City among other cities in the country.
He says the City has put in place strategies to empower school managers to ensure they improve service delivery.
Asked about the disparity between private and public schools in performance, Omara says children in public schools lack basic learning materials unlike those in private schools who could be from well-to-do homes.
“I agree that currently, we still have differences in performance between private and public schools,” Omara says.
Observers say teachers in public schools are always absent from class, the reason for poor performance.
Daniel Okello, the chairperson of the Head Teachers Association of Lira City says that fair result is equated to teamwork and more effort is still needed for perfection.
He says there is a need for proper planning together and implementing the plans together for better results.
Okello, a head teacher of Ambalal Primary school observes that they have planned as head teachers to team up in planning and supervising what is planned to help combat challenges in education.
Caroline Atim Kakooza, a parent from Mukono whose son studied at Saving Grace Primary School and got aggregate 04 is full of joy after getting a token of appreciation from Dr. Aceng.
Atim a mother of eight with four dependents says the token is a great relief to her.
