Lira, Uganda | King James School of Nursing and Midwifery has registered impressive results in the recently released examinations by the Uganda Health Professionals Assessment Board (UHPAB), with all candidates from Set 12 passing without any retakes.
The results place the institution third in Northern Uganda and fifth nationally among the 221 nursing training schools offering certificate programmes across the country.
Speaking during a staff celebration held on Saturday at Daniefa Hotel, the Executive Director of King James Schools, Odongo Dick, attributed the strong performance to continuous capacity building among tutors and deliberate investment in human resource development.
Odongo said the institution has focused on empowering tutors through further studies, motivation, and professional development to enhance the quality of teaching.
He revealed that he has personally sponsored the training of more than six doctors at various universities in Uganda, many of whom are now providing healthcare services in different communities, while others are still pursuing bachelor’s degrees.
According to Odongo, the institution continues to compete favourably with other nursing schools that charge higher tuition fees despite maintaining relatively affordable fees for its learners.
He, however, noted that the school faces a challenge of losing highly performing tutors to other nursing institutions that often attempt to recruit them.
Odongo encouraged tutors to remain committed to the institution and resist such offers, emphasizing the importance of stability in maintaining the school’s academic standards.
The Principal, Alamu Beatrice, said the results were a reflection of the dedication of both tutors and students.
She explained that about 80% of the tutors have returned to school for further professional development, thanks to the director’s efforts to strengthen the institution’s human resource capacity.
Alamu said the tutors’ passion for teaching and their commitment to simplifying course content for students have played a key role in the institution’s consistent performance over the last four semesters.
She added that the school has also invested in learning infrastructure, including a well-stocked library and a standard skills laboratory for practical training.
The institution has also signed Memorandum of Understanding with several health facilities, including Lira Regional Referral Hospital, Apac General Hospita, and Amach Health Centre IV, where students undertake internships and clinical placements.
According to the results, 118 out of the 140 students in Set 12 graduated with first-class results, scoring distinctions with GPAs of 5.0, while 16 students obtained GPAs between 3.5 and 3.9. The remaining candidates scored between 2.5 and 3.4 GPA.
Despite the national pass rate standing at 95.3%, Alamu said the lowest pass rate recorded at the institution in recent semesters has been 90.1%, which remains competitive nationally.
Speaking on behalf of the secondary school section, Otulu Alfred praised the staff for their teamwork and dedication, which contributed to the excellent results.
He said the success was a product of unity, collaboration, discipline, and strong commitment among staff, urging them to maintain the team spirit and a positive working environment to achieve even greater milestones.
King James Schools was established in 2004 and is now 22 years in operation, while the nursing and midwifery section has been running for 12 years.
The recently released UHPAB results covered several groups of candidates, including Set 12, who completed their studies last year, Set 13, who are currently in their final semester, Set 14, expected to complete studies in December, as well as Set 15 and Set 16, who are currently in Year Two and Year One respectively.