KWANIA! How Ikwera Primary School Has become a model school in Lango

Ikwera Primary School named a model school in KwaniaBy Solomon OkaboKwania Kwania district authorities have named Ikwera Primary School, a model school in the district.The announcement was on made by Andrew Omuno, Kwania District Education Officer (DEO) while presiding over the Dedication Prayer of 2024 Primary Seven Candidates, an event held at the school last Tuesday.

 ‘’Among the 58 government aided primary schools we have as Kwania. I want to announce that Ikwera Primary is a top school. For the 10 years that Kwania has existed, from the time it was curved from Apac. Ikwera has set a record of good performance and improvement, ’he said.

Ikwera gets Shs28m under school performance awardAs way of recognizing and encouraging performance in the school, Omuno said the district has allocated 28 million shillings to construct a modern conference hall at the school in recognition of the tremendous performance, pledging more supports in developing the school.

‘’Ikwera which is now a center of learning has also performed excellently in the areas of transparency, accountability and record-keeping and promotion of girl child education respectively and because of that in a F/Y 2024/2025 Kwania District Local Government has allocated Shs28m to transform that old classroom structure into a modern conference hall, ’he said, urging other schools to visit Ikwera for benchmarking.

Excellent performance attributed to compulsory feeding Whereas most schools in Kwania did not adapt the Parents Led National School Feeding Program introduced in 2019, Joseph Ogwal, Ikwera Primary School head teacher embraced the initiative and now enjoys the outcome. Besides other factors like team work, staff’s capacity building and motivation Ogwal attributes the outstanding performance to compulsory school feeding.

‘’After the release of the exams when I joined the school, we realized that studying on empty stomachs had affected the performance of most pupils. This is the reason why we adopted the feeding program. Every pupil is supposed to take at least a cup of porridge. ’he said. Rallia

 Atoo, a Primary Seven Candidate preparing to sit 2024 PLE said the school is able to produce results consistently because of the competent teachers posted to the school. Atoo emerged the best performing candidate in the recently released PLE Mock after scoring Agg.5

‘’Allow me appreciate Kwania District Local Government for posting teachers who are not only competent but also parental."

 These teachers are always available for us all the time we encounter academic challenges.The teachers demonstrated high level of commitment in preparing us to the extent of waking us up as early as 5:00am in the cold to begin the lesson.

 With this level of engagement I am quite sure we shall all pass with flying colors, ’she said while addressing parents during the dedication prayer held at the school.

Andrew Ogwang, the Chairman Parents and Teachers’ Association (PTA) of the school says, ‘’Whenever results are released everyone looks at our direction first. This year is no different, as usual, next year we will never disappoint.’’ 

‘’The school both day and boarding caters for all children, needy and those with special needs inclusive. 

It admits all children regardless of sex, tribe or religion so we welcome more children to join the school especially those with special need, I mean the visually impaired. ’he added.Ikwera Primary School, located in Ikwera Ward, Aduku town council in Kwania District on Lira-Apac Highway has registered 94 candidates for 2024 PLE as compared to the 88 candidates registered for 2023 PLE.

The school government aided primary school-Catholic founded established in 1934 has a current enrolment of 1,619 pupils with 155 being visually impaired. It has consistently registered tremendous performance in the Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) making it the best school in the district.In the 2022 PLE results released by Education and Sports Minister Janet Kata Museveni, the school produced 15 first grades.

 In the subsequent year 2023, the school under the competent and visionary leadership of head teacher Joseph Ogwal obtained 19 first graders leading in the district. Undoubtedly, the school hopes to maintain the status quo.