
The councilors accused one head teacher of presiding over a decline in enrollment from 504 pupils to less than 200, misplacing the school’s mobile phone, possessing three different school stamps, and failing to cooperate with the School Management Committee (SMC) for effective planning.
Tororo, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Two head teachers in Tororo have been chased away by angry parents and local councilors of Mukujju Sub-county over poor performance in the 2024 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE). They were joined by councilors, Tororo District.
The affected head teachers, Beatrice Apadet of Odikai Primary School and Martin Odeke of Morkiswa Primary School in Kisoko Sub-county were confronted on Monday, weeks after results showed that all 43 candidates from their schools who sat for the exams scored 36 aggregate. This dismal performance, is what is said to have enraged parents and local leaders.
Led by Mukujju Sub-county LC3 Chairperson Wilson Obonyo, commonly known as Songa, the parents stormed the schools on Monday morning, forcing Apadet out of her office. They then said they had handed over temporary leadership to her deputy, Sarah Ajore, pending intervention from district authorities regarding her transfer.
The councilors accused Apadet of presiding over a decline in enrollment from 504 pupils to less than 200, misplacing the school’s mobile phone, possessing three different school stamps, and failing to cooperate with the School Management Committee (SMC) for effective planning.
In response, Beatrice Apadet defended herself, arguing that improving student performance requires collective efforts from parents, teachers, and the government. She attributed the poor results to parents’ unwillingness to provide lunch, books, and pens for their children. She also denied allegations of reporting late to school, saying her detractors were tarnishing her reputation.
Gaitano Obella, a parent, expressed frustration over the school’s continuous poor performance in PLE for the past three years. He revealed that last year, Odikai Primary School did not even register a single candidate for Primary Seven.
Samuel Osende of Morkiswa Primary School criticized the teachers, alleging that they report to school at midday and leave at 3PM, giving them little time to engage with pupils effectively.
Alice Awori, the Vice Chairperson of the Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) at Odikai Primary School, noted that several meetings had been held to address these concerns, but no solutions had been implemented. Mukujju Sub-county Chairperson Assa Wilson Obonyo called upon district education officials to urgently intervene so that learning can return to normal.
Tororo District LC V Chairperson John Okea confirmed the incidents and revealed that he had engaged the District Education Officer (DEO) regarding the matter. He stated that both head teachers would soon be transferred as a disciplinary measure. Okea, however, noted that despite the challenges, Tororo District performed better in the 2024 PLE compared to previous years, with 218 candidates attaining Division One, up from 168 in the previous year.
Attempts to reach the Tororo District Education Officer for comment were unsuccessful, as his phone was switched off at the time of reporting.
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