Pallisa, Uganda | Gogonyo County Member of Parliament, Hon. Derrick Orone, on Saturday, launched the Gogonyo Examination Bureau at Gogonyo Senior Secondary School.
The initiative is aimed at improving academic performance in primary schools across Gogonyo County, which Hon. Orone said ranked among the worst performers in the 2025 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE).
“This bureau is going to ease the printing of assessment tests at much lower costs than outsourcing. I have established it for all schools so that administrations can reduce costs. It will also be my duty to enrich the bureau with a comprehensive question bank,” Hon. Orone said.
Before injecting UGX 10 million as seed capital into the Gogonyo Teachers’ SACCO, Hon. Orone directed that Primary Seven candidates should sit assessment tests twice a week.
He added that examination papers would be sourced from top-performing schools in Kampala to expose local learners to national standards.
“I am also committed to facilitating regular academic seminars for both teachers and candidates. However, I urge all stakeholders to own this project for the benefit of our children. I will also sponsor a weekly education programme on Pallisa FM, where teachers will conduct audio lessons that will benefit not only Gogonyo County but everyone who tunes in,” Hon. Orone said.
“We must treat education as a priority if we are to elevate and sustain performance in Gogonyo,” he added.
However, Mr. Oduch Charles Richard, the head teacher of Ajepet Primary School, highlighted several challenges affecting teaching and learning in Gogonyo County and beyond. These include inadequate preparation of instructional materials by teachers, failure to complete the syllabus because pupils spend up to two weeks at home after schools reopen, limited exposure to curriculum updates, and the absence of regular teacher workshops.
Mr. Oduch commended the district for recruiting additional teachers but noted that the staffing gap remains wide, with a high pupil-to-teacher ratio.
“Our candidates sit PLE when they have effectively covered only four years of learning instead of seven, which is a serious problem. Being a county bordering Lake Kyoga, fishing activities also interfere with learning, although local authorities are trying to address the challenge,” he said.
Mrs. Keddi Agulansi, the LC I Chairperson of Agule Village in Gogonyo Sub-county, expressed concern that some teachers are forced to handle more than three classes due to inadequate staffing, leading to learner fatigue, absenteeism, and school dropouts.
She also cited the lack of teachers’ accommodation, noting that many teachers commute long distances to their duty stations.
“Another silent but major problem is that many teachers are heavily indebted. Some have multiple loans, including from village savings groups, and at the end of the month, some are left with only UGX 30,000. Now that salaries have been increased, I pray the additional money will help them reduce their debt burden,” she said.
Mr. Salmson Osakan, the Gogonyo County Chairperson of Team Orone, said the legislator has implemented several remarkable development initiatives in the constituency that deserve public appreciation.
The guest of honour, Dr. Okia Henry Stanley, an education specialist, urged teachers to treat the profession as a calling rather than merely a job.
According to Dr. Okia, effective teaching requires close interaction with learners and continuous professional development.
“We do not handle learners the way medical workers attend to patients during scheduled ward rounds. Teaching demands commitment and constant engagement. Teachers should embrace the national curriculum, use their smartphones for professional learning instead of spending excessive time on non-productive social media, form subject discussion groups to manage large classes, emphasise good handwriting, prioritise practical teaching, and identify each learner’s strengths and weaknesses early enough to provide proper guidance before PLE registration,” Dr. Okia said.
This year, Gogonyo County registered 1,338 candidates for the Primary Leaving Examinations, with 865 candidates from 15 government-aided schools and 480 from private schools.