SCHOOL DROPOUT: Parents launch campaign to trace young victims

OYAM , UGANDA | THE INDEPENDENT | The Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) executive of Amwa Demonstration Primary School in Oyam District has launched a door-to-door campaign to trace and reintegrate pupils who have abandoned school.

The campaign follows a sudden drop in enrollment from 1,756 pupils in Term One (927 boys and 835 girls) to over 300 fewer learners in Term Two, according to school records.

Walter Awuku, Chairperson of the PTA at Amwa Demonstration Primary School, said the rate of dropouts prompted them to launch the campaign focused on educating parents about the importance of consistent schooling.

Harriet Achola, the school Headmistress of Amwa Demonstration Primary School, attributed the decline to a growing trend of parents withdrawing children for garden work, and only returning them in Term Three to sit promotional exams.

She noted that the PTAs’ efforts to sensitise communities are already yielding results, since some have returned to school.

Oyam District Inspector of Schools, Benson Ongom, stated that parental negligence remains a major cause of primary school dropouts in the district. He urged the parents to take responsibility for nurturing their children.

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