By Sharon Kabakaali
A new report by Uwezo Uganda in partnership with Bunyoro Union of Persons with Disabilities (BUPED) has revealed that Hoima district is still struggling with low literacy and numeracy levels among the school going children.
The new report followed a survey conducted in August 2024 that targeted 704 children from 300 households and 15 schools. The survey focused on how well school going children can read and count by grade across the district.
The survey was also conducted to find out the number of children at primary level who have attended preprimary schools, the pupil- teacher ratio,teachers’ presence in schools and, how women are involved in school governance. The survey also focused on discovering if primary school children in Hoima proceed to the next grades of education.
While disseminating the 2024 report about learning of children in Hoima District schools on Friday at Crown hotel in Hoima City, Edreen Ahuura Safeson, the Project Officer BUPED revealed that, the findings indicate only 24% of pupils in primary three to seven possess competency in reading English, 51% in math while 23% in both subjects, the figures which call for stakeholders’ swift intervention in order to fill the gaps.
Ahuura also noted that their findings indicate 12% of teachers were absent on the day of the survey on average leaving the learners unattended to, which in the long run affects their performance levels.
The Hoima District Inspector of Schools, Robert Kyomuhendo who represented the District Education Officer (DEO) Harriet Kihumuro welcomed the report saying it paints an accurate state of affairs and thanked UWEZO for the report. He committed the district’s efforts to improving in areas where gaps have been identified.
Harriet Asiimwe, the Inspector of Schools in Hoima District disclosed inspections are sometimes hampered by lack of adequate funds and blamed the high absenteeism of pupils on parents especially during the planting season with the high dropout rates recorded around the L.Albert shores.
Joab Bagonza, the head teacher at Haibale primary school said children still go on an empty stomach without any lunch provided which ends up affecting their learning.
