By Emmanuel Okiria
Kapelebyong district leaders have raised concerns over the low academic performance of pupils, attributing it to the lack of parental support for school feeding programs.
The district, which ranked 132nd out of 167 districts in the 2024 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) results, saw only 22 pupils attain Division One out of 1,648 registered candidates.
According to Kapelebyong District Education Officer (DEO) Stephen Olinga, one of the biggest challenges affecting education in the district is the reluctance of parents to support school feeding programs.
He noted that while parents make efforts to provide lunch for pupils in upper primary (Primary Six and Seven), younger pupils in lower classes often go through the school day on an empty stomach.
“Imagine a child surviving only on oxygen and water from 6:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Parents, this is really unfair. Let’s support this program,” Olinga emphasized.
Beyond the feeding program, the district is grappling with significant shortages in classrooms, desks, teachers, and accommodation facilities.
Kapelebyong, with a school-going population of 40,114 pupils, has only 41 government-aided primary schools and seven secondary schools.
Many students are forced to study under trees due to the lack of sufficient infrastructure.
Olinga highlighted some recent government interventions, including the construction of two new classrooms at Apopong Primary School under the School Facility Grant.
Additionally, the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Teso Affairs have supported the district with a three-classroom block and a five-star pit latrine.
However, he stressed that more support is needed to meet the district’s growing demands.
Kapelebyong LC5 Chairperson Francis Akorikin reiterated the need for continued community sensitization and parental engagement to improve academic performance.
He expressed concerns over the high dropout rate, which he attributed to excessive Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) fees that many families struggle to afford.
“We are engaging communities and parents to ensure Kapelebyong is on the right trajectory to achieve better results this year. However, we need urgent attention from the DEO and other stakeholders to address the high PTA charges and provide necessary support to our schools,” Akorikin stated.
The district leadership is now calling on the government, NGOs, and well-wishers to provide additional resources to bridge the gaps in education infrastructure, reduce school dropout rates, and improve learning conditions for pupils in Kapelebyong.
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