The Kitgum District Inspector of Schools Bitek Okot says the statistics were obtained from a recent assessment conducted to ascertain how many candidates registered for the Primary Leaving Examinations against the total enrollment of learners who reported to school in the first term.
At least 550 primary seven candidates have failed to report back
to school in Kitgum district.
According to data obtained by the district education department, of
these 292 were boys, while 234 are girls.
The Kitgum District Inspector
of Schools Bitek Okot says the statistics were obtained from a recent
assessment conducted to ascertain how many candidates registered for the
Primary Leaving Examinations against the total enrollment of learners who reported
to school in the first term.
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According to Okot, Orom Sub County registered the highest number
of absentee candidates at 87 followed by Kitgum Matidi with 81, Omiya Anyima
with 80, Namukora Sub County with 77 and Mucwini with 73 absentees.
Other Sub Counties include Lagoro with 70, and Labongo Akwang with
68. Okot attributes the low turn up
to teenage pregnancies, early marriages, child labour, child trafficking and influence of leaders.
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Paul Odong, a parent, says the widespread low student turn up in
most schools is due to the lockdown imposed to curtail the spread of the
coronavirus disease where many female candidates either became pregnant and
cannot return or have been married off.
He also says some parents decided to keep their children away from
school for fear of contracting the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), while others
opted to transfer their children to other schools.
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Kitgum District LCV Chairperson Jackson Omona faults parents for
having a negative perception towards education and calls on different
stakeholders to create awareness and mobilizing the community to change the mind-set
of embracing education.
He stressed on the need to enforce the
district education ordinance to penalize parents who are encouraging the vice
of early marriages and those implicated for failing to let learners report back
to school.
