UCE Results, 2020: The Good and Bad News in Abim District

THE Ministry of Education and Sports alongside Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) last week, released results for the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) examinations for the year 2020 amidst a COVID-19 lockdown. This has since remained one of the key contents for most (both) traditional and social media platforms in Uganda.

According to UNEB, a total of 333,889 candidates sat for this examinations from 3,935 registered centers.  UNEB informed media outlets that there were more female students comprising 50.1 percent compared to their male counterparts who accounted for 49.8percent. There were also more candidates from non-Universal Secondary Education(USE) program than those under the USE, at 185,754 and 148,135 respectively.

Generally, apart from those candidates whose results were withheld; 39,968 candidates (12.1%) passed in division one, and 69,782 (21.2%) got division two, while 81,428 (24.7%) landed in grade three. Another whooping 120,055 candidates (36.4%) made it in the fourth division, while some 18,414 (5.6%) regrettably settled in the ninth grade.

Considering that the students sat for examinations in a COVID-19 tainted environment, I think the performance is fair, compared to the previous normal years.

Until now, there is continuous analysis of the results and specifically the performance of schools by different concerned people within the Country so as to try and share good lessons from schools that excelled, but also to sieve out critical challenges that could have affected the ones that plummeted.

New media (social media) has made it possible to have decentralized discussions where different regions or districts, Sub Counties, Parishes or even villages easily focus on their zones and dichotomize the issues.

Back home in Abim district, the performances of the few Secondary schools were received with mixed reactions characterized by amazements, agitations and vilifications.

A school like Abim S.S that had never been serious despite being the oldest secondary school in the district, surprised her critics by performing fairly better.  Abim S.S was able to have 11 candidates (11%) in grade one, 40 candidates (41%)in division two and 47 of their candidates (48%) fell in the third ranking.  Look here, for a school that has been having first grade drought for centuries, this is a great show and it clearly animated most people.

The other schools within the district simply tumbled. Above all, Morulem Girls’ Secondary that used to top the district in UCE has gradually waned. This school only afforded 02 candidates or (4%) in division one, 13 (25%)in the second division and a roaring 21 candidates (40%) in the third grade. There is also a contribution of 16 candidates (30%) in the ugly fourth grade and, 01 candidate (01%) settled in the abominable division nine.

 Formerly viewed as a symbol of hope for the girl child in the district as it remitted highly graded students than no other school, we can for now say that Morulem Girls’ has gone far down low.

According to local commentators, Morulem Girls’ has nosedived because of three critical reasons: The indifferent and languorous teaching staff, the category of students admitted and the droopy parents.

Decriers of Morulem Girls’ think that the teachers have lost focus in their work and redirected energies to other things including political activities that has partly divided them and equally provoked mistrust and disrespect from the learners and the community. I hope it’s not true.

The other notion is that the school has of late focused more on offering second chance education, where more of the school dropouts are the ones gathered and forced back to class as long as they are sponsored by a good Samaritan. This is a very good initiative but, where there is no will, there can’t be a way.  Cases of these ‘girls’ climbing over the school fence to escape back home or to meet with their better halves or to drink alcohol, look for dance parties etc. are said to be rampant in this school. With this, I may not blame the teachers.  Critics might need to understand this scenario and look for a better way of benchmarking Morulem Girls’ nowadays.

The third concern is the disinclined parents who do not spare resources (could be just time) to learn and support in solving the issues at the school.  Parents are important in all schools. They might need to be woken up and shown where they can come in. I hope something will be done.

Schools that have continued to perform well have built strong systems for teacher motivation, attracting students of better grades and strengthening coordination with parents and the Old Students’ Associations. Morulem Girls’ and all other schools in Abim district could do better by forging a way along the above lines too.

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South Western Uganda is Blessed Beyond Repair, Says My Travel Notes

WE started off on a day that usually belongs to my laundry, to my Kitchen, to my phone, to my Mom, to Daddy, to Norah and our flowers; Mercy and Fenella.

Saturday. It was late afternoon of it, when we pressed the start button. I was full of exhilaration because I was visiting for the first time despite the tasks involved. Poor me, I could not see them at all! I mean, I could not set eyes on the things that would excite me most during such moments as a little boy, back then in the 1990s.

                 

 The steep hills and valleys of Isingiro                    

With the weight of darkness taking its toll on this beautiful day, I had to painfully miss my childhood travel entertainment. I missed them all. The flying clouds, the racing trees, the houses, the people full of what to do. The millions of automobiles cruising to the opposite direction, and so many more. These were what enthused my journeys as a child. Just know, travels nowadays simply make me young.

Childhood reminiscences aside. What pre-occupied my mind all the way through the journey was the imagination of how the green guys might treat us. Our Country is under lockdown. Lockdown due to the oddest of visitors of our time. Due to Mr. deadly Corona Virus. Anyway, our journey hit finishing line at 8: 30 PM. The green guys were tired and paid less attention.

Mbarara. What a city! A city of compliance. Apart from dozens of roasted maize cobs we grabbed from Masaka, we had no options but to rush into our hotel rooms and snuffle peacefully until the next day. We were late for business. Did you see my tweet that night? It reads, “Mbarara, the City of strict adherence to COVID-19 SOPs. You can’t mess here…”.  We slept hungry.

A trip from Mbarara early morning to catch up with business in Isingiro district was another new experience. Isingiro is beautifully situated at the borderline of the Republic of Tanzania. Here, we are separated from Tanzanians by the dirty, but attractive and economically significant river Kagera. Lovely steep hills and deep valleys are key geographical features of this Ankole district. The people are welcoming. Did you know that Isingiro district hosts a number of refugees? Don’t forget that Nakivale Refugee settlement in Isingiro is also the oldest settlement in Africa.

            I was thrilled by both living & non-living things                  

My next destination was Kamwenge district, another sweet place to be proud of as a Country. The natural attractions of this district bring home an estimated 12,500 tourists annually. Kamwenge is blessed with numerous wetlands, grasslands and woodlands. Kamwenge shares the pride of Queen Elizabeth National Park with Kitagwenda district. Other attractions to this district includes; Lake George, River Mpanga, Rwenshama Falls and Katonga Nature Reserve.

There was more work to do, but I cannot forget the feeling of passing through Kyenjojo district to cross over to Kyegegwa another district with excess beauty of nature. Despite the shortage of infrastructural development here, I fell in love with the attitude of the people of Kyegegwa. Calm, friendly and generous Ugandans. The two nights I spent in Kyegegwa brought back memories of my life in Bunyoro Kingdom. Now I know why the Batooro and the Banyoro are identical twins. Let me reserve more for another day. Shooting back home was through Mubende and Mityana districts.

These Uncouth, Unregulated Taxi Folks

Transport by public means in Uganda is getting dirtier and uglier every day.  Apart from wrong elements conniving/hiding in the space of people engaged in this sector, even the true/real employees in the sector themselves have very poor work ethics and are not operating as if they are in for business. They do not respect their clients at all. They do not distinguish between human beings and satchels. They also behave like people with mental malady. This is why they pack twice the number licensed to be aboard their waggons. It is also, why they focus more on the money paid than the well-being of people paying the money.

Boy, have you ever seen this with our taxi drivers? Do they normally talk the truth before taking away your money?  They will pack their colleagues/fellow perjurers in the car just to hoodwink you that they are lacking only one traveller which is –you.  Later, when you board and pay, the brats will start coming out one by one, two by two, three by three, until you will realise that you were the only real traveller aboard. Your time is wasted, but most importantly - your money is gone.   

I think there should come into play a regulation on when to pay the money. The ideal is after the service has been delivered. Reader, don’t you remember days when you paid your hard earned cash to the bus that later got spoilt on the way and you boarded another means at extra cost because they never refund people’s money.

There is also this unnecessary squabble about money and travellers by taxi workers. Have you equally noticed this? I hate it. I wonder if the transport authority in this Country recognises the so called; stage masters, then the brokers, followed by the receipt men, conductors and the drivers. Most times, it is not easy to tell who actually the driver is because all these people also drive. They drive looking for people like wild things and they keep changing until when the taxi is fully packed, then a chapter of chaos commences.

They struggle for the money. I wonder most times why up to about 10 people will want to be paid because travellers have boarded a given taxi. It is as if they create travel plans for individuals from their homes so that they start disagreeing and fighting over pay. It is as if the money paid is just for sharing on the spot and has no use in servicing the car, fuelling and savings for the owner. It is as if people who board are wild-creatures who must be tamed so that they can come and take a route in travel. Do you experience this? Do you like it?  What should our authorities do to change this psychosis?

In my view, our authorities need to seek lessons from European, Asian and American cities where great improvements have been attained in the Public transport sector. These locations have clean, safe, fast and efficient Public transport system. In China, the octopus option makes it quite easy for travellers to manage their transport payment. Here, you do not need to count cash in the hands of someone because it uses electronic smart cards that allows one to pay fares both online and offline.  Otherwise, in their poverty, more Ugandans continue to be exploited by uncouth and unregulated individuals in the transport industry. Our Country needs to do something. See you next week.

Let's Give Credit Where it's Due and Spare No Bad Leader

“Good leadership is like climbing a builder's ladder. If you balance your feet in the middle of it, then your weight will be uniformly distributed and transferred equally to the two supports and therefore enables you to climb higher and higher.

Should you lean to one side of the ladder while attempting to climb higher, a turning moment will be induced at the side where you have exerted much of your weight, and thus creating an uplift at the lighter side where your weight is less and therefore the ladder gives way together with you - Casualty only, a case with your crumbled opponent!”, Eliseo Oyoo commented on Abim Development Forum last night.

What a precise, concise, crisp, candid and forthright statement! Mr. Oyoo was applauding and guiding Hon. Michael Ayepa who was sworn in to serve second term as legislator for Labwor Constituency in Abim District on Monday 16^th May. To me, Oyoo has made the last statement after the cutting of the cake.

Do we have anything to say against this engineer’s graphical communication? Not even the rodents, cockroaches, termites have no speechlessness at this point in time I guess.

Whatever unpleasant future events that may come our way, I want to put it on record that Ethur have never had a bad member of parliament since the 1980s.  From Felix Obura(R.I.P) to Obonyo J’Abwor (R.I.P) to Yafes Otim Omara and to Omwony Ojwok (R.I.P) and to Ayepa. Under these men, we have documented evidence of fundamental achievements for thur development. The rot that we have today majorly emanated from the Local council administration in Abim that obviously were grossly mismanaged because we had a wrong captain from the start of that administrative unit in our land.  

Last weekend while in Kotido, I had a verbal spat with a young man whom I empathised when he said a good leader of Ethur is “the one that makes people laugh and that is full of ‘jazz’ to every location, and has his sharp boys everywhere”. The senseless young man added that “…we need a leader who can put on any cloth, or uniform for any people…” 

I didn’t understand this innocent kid, although in between the lines you could tell that Abim young people were beginning to rely on very wrong individuals for mentorship back home. You could sense that instead of maturity in governance, there probably were leaders who behaved like comedians yet they held responsible positions that required being gentle and cool headed so as to guide the new generation sensibly.

My greatest disappointment and annoyance came when the chap shamelessly said that Yafes Otim Omara while MP did zero to Ethur just like Ayepa and Obonyo J’Abowr. He said that Omwony Ojwok was the only performer so far. Thank God that in 2016 we have changed the face of this madness in our land and now hope for the better.

Aside, I thought all the key men who were our MPs before had done great jobs that needed to be recognised. Felix Obura offered himself at the time when the Ethur very badly needed a unifying leader, given that Ethur were almost unknown. Obonyo was ably our legislator at the foundational moment for the development of legal instruments in our Country. Yafes is on record for fighting for the independence of Ethur at a time when his colleague Owiny Dollo was pushing for thur people to be included under the Acholi administration from Pader. Omwony Ojwok worked for another independence from the Jie through pushing for the district status. Ayepa is currently fighting for; Community health strengthening, people’s land rights, women and child protection through several bottom-top approaches.

Finally I wish to congratulate our newly sworn in MPs; Janet Akech and Micahel Ayepa upon accepting to lead Ethur once again.   I know that after the swearing in, what seemed like a very long journey is now looking very near. It takes coordination with the electorates and sharing in their challenges if you want to lead them well. May God offer you better direction.

Morulem Boys’ Primary School, Where are the Old Boys?

Dear teacher,

We have seen Morulem Boys’ Primary School decorate our mother home district in the national map of Uganda through excellent performances in Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) and in Music Dance and Drama for a number of years now.

We all know that a lot of effort by teachers, pupils and parents contribute to this. We also know that the school actually leaped from grass to grace in recent times. I remember during the 1990s, getting 10 first grades would be a super thing in the same school. Last year, Morulem Boys’ tide up with Child Jesus Primary school in Moroto to top the region in PLE performance. Both schools had 30 children in grade one.

In my view, this good work needs to be hiked or at least sustained so that it becomes an indissoluble culture that our grand, grand and grand children of tomorrow and next may also get it and keep it.

Pupils of Morulem Boys' School during Music Practice          

In the 1990s Kotido Mixed Primary School was atop the region in terms of PLE performance. However, Kotido Mixed failed to uphold their status and today they have dropped from hero to horror. We can’t blame this on teachers or pupils. When you succeed in something, the fruit of your success should take you to another level. The stars of Kotido Mixed needed to look back to the school and contribute to the revival of that lost glory.

In other parts of Uganda, historical schools such as; Ntare school, Kings College Budo, Namilyango college etc. have managed to protract their fair performances partly and largely because of the Old Boys and Girls’ contribution. These former Pupils/students who have succeeded in life after school make unbelievable -valuable annual contributions towards school development programs. We could as well borrow a leaf from these people so that we see a way of sustaining positive developments in our schools.

As an old boy myself, I wish to suggest to fellow old Boys of Morulem Boys’ school one simple thing. Let’s start an annual contribution towards the development of the school.  We could call it, Morulem Boys’ Old Boys’ Development Fund (MOBODUF). The Contributions from every Old Boy who feels the sense of attachment to this great school will start as early as January and ends in November. An annual Old Boys’ Conference in December every year will then decide on what the collected fund should be for.  It could be for an extension of the school Library, dormitories, Classroom blocks, Washrooms, or even a School Van, depending on the collection by end of year.

During the get together, old boys will also have a football match or other games with the School team to demonstrate cohesion and delight for the school. Other important engagements including guiding and counseling of pupils on current world challenges such as the HIV/AIDS problem, harmful practices like abuse of drugs etc would also be extended to children in attendance during this single day in a year.

To make this easy and more practical, we could disaggregate the Old Boys’ membership. We can have COOPERATE members whose annual contribution is a minimum of UGX250, 000(200,000 goes for School Development Fund (SDF) and 50,000 to facilitate the annual sitting (Conference Fund (CF). A second category could be called SUBSCRIBERS, whose minimum annual contribution is UGX150, 000(100,000 for SDF and 50,000 for CF). Then we can have a third and last category called, PROMOTERS (they pay minimum UGX50,000 annually, 10,000 as CF and 40,000 for SDF)

Who will receive and who will keep the money?

To enable a quick and safer start, I suggest that the parish Priest of Morulem Catholic Church be entrusted to collect and issue receipts to those who have cleared. Church is independent and we can surely give it our trust. A priest like Fr. Joseph Ochero could act the treasurer role easily. Other people with proven integrity like Mr. Okullo Oywek Simon Peter could be engaged into this arrangement and so we can be sure of first-rate accountability. Receipts will be given upon payment and a carbon copy kept for verification in December. More ideas can follow from this scratch. I suggest that we start off this in 2016, and to be exemplary, Am proud to say that my contribution is ready in the CORPERATE category.

More suggestions such as having an account for MOBODUF will come later if we can take this idea up. What I know is that some other school Old boys may take up this idea faster after reading this blog and yet my first target is Morulem boys men and women. How does this sound to you teacher? Please give me feedback before end of this month. God Bless You!

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