– Advertisement –
Despite the looming threat posed by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in Kasese District, students undertaking the 2023 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) examinations displayed remarkable resilience, achieving commendable grades amidst harrowing incidents.
The preceding year bore witness to tragic attacks by suspected ADF rebels in Kasese, resulting in the loss of about 60 lives in separate incidents. Notably, on June 16, 2023, Mpondwe-Lhubiriha Secondary School suffered a devastating attack, claiming the lives of 38 students and six community members.
However, despite these harrowing incidents, the release of UACE results unveiled a surprising trend: many schools neighboring Mpondwe-Lhubiriha SS performed well academically.
At Nyabugando Baptist Vocational Secondary School, located just 300 meters from the site of the Mpondwe-Lhubiriha Secondary School attack, out of 34 students who sat for exams, 13 achieved three principal passes, 11 secured two principal passes, and nine attained one principal pass. Notably, Bwambale Benon emerged as the best student with 15 points, while Ngiriman Aaron scored 14 points in PCM.
– Advertisement –
Mr. Morris Kithengere, a teacher at Nyabugando Baptist Vocational Secondary School, acknowledged the impact of the attacks on performance, citing a noticeable decrease in learners’ confidence and concentration. Additionally, he mentioned a decline in school enrollment, reducing the number of learners from 700 to 500.
Similarly, Karambi Secondary School, located in Karambi Sub County bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo, faced challenges as learners and parents withdrew due to multiple ADF attacks. Despite government deployment of security personnel, the best student scored 16 points, a decrease from the previous year’s 17 points.
At Bwera Secondary School, another prominent institution in Kasese, trauma and panic among learners ensued following ADF attacks. Mr. Yokonia Bwambale, the head teacher, highlighted the disruption caused by the attacks, resulting in the suspension of prep sessions for almost a month. Nonetheless, despite the challenges, the best student scored 18 points.
Related
– Advertisement –
