OYAM: PRIMARY SCHOOLS RECORDS MORE THAN 100 DROPOUTS THIS TERM
By Chris Woo
Oyam
Wigweng Primary School, located in Oyam Town Council, has reported 118 cases of school dropouts.
Speaking to the press in her office, Eunice Ojok, the head teacher of the School, shared that despite the dropout cases, there is a slight improvement in enrollment figures. She noted that the school had a total of 784 learners in 2024 compared to 1,245 students enrolled in the first term of the 2025 academic year.
Ojok provided a breakdown of the dropout cases: 12 learners from Primary One, 13 from Primary Two, 22 from Primary Three, 23 from Primary Four, 19 from Primary Five, 22 from Primary Six, and 7 students from Primary Seven did not return to school for this academic term.
Patrick Okello Auma, Chairperson of the School Management Committee, indicated that some cases may be due to absenteeism rather than actual dropouts. He urged parents to support the school’s development, citing instances where the lack of parental cooperation affected its performance. He referenced the challenges faced by a previous head teacher who was transferred due to a lack of parental backing.
Some students who had dropped out mentioned that inadequate parental support for education led them to discontinue their studies. However, intervention by the head teacher and her deputy has encouraged some of them to return to school.
Parish Priest of Anyeke Catholic Parish, Fr. Moses Pascal Omara, noted that attitudes of parents toward education contribute to the high dropout rates. He emphasized the need for mindset changes to foster improvements in education at the school.
David Adea, Acting District Education Officer for Oyam District, confirmed the alarming dropout rate within the district, which currently stands at 20.1% as of 2024. He revealed that they are taking steps to address this issue through sensitization efforts at annual general meetings.
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