BY ELLY KARENZI IN IBANDA-
Primary school head teachers in Ibanda district have been cautioned to stop promoting pupils who have performed poorly at the end of the year. Dr. Tony Mukasa Lusambu, the assistant commissioner for primary education while addressing primary head teachers and deputies at Ibanda Integrated primary school in Ibanda district on Tuesday.He said that automatic promotion policy must exhibit key competences in literacy and numeracy.He said the pupils should be promoted while teachers are basing on their performance every term.
The deputy head teacher of Ibanda Integrated primary school Mr. Gaadi Mabanda said that it is a crucial observation as Uganda grapples with tackling challenges in education sector and that it doesn’t help to promote pupils who don’t perform well in class. He said that, it is not only teachers who contribute to poor performance but also parents are answerable since they fail to equip their children with scholastic materials and food . “ An automatic promotion policy is still in places mostly influenced by parents. Teachers consider competence of the pupils before promoting them. Although this policy aimed on fighting illiteracy, it will be a disservice to this country as they train pupils who will not benefit the country in future” Mr. Mabanda said.
He requested teachers to give maximum attention to pupils since some of them have challenges in their education.