Arua District Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Goffin Gore has directed headteachers across the district to strengthen the supervision of teachers and ensure they complete the syllabus for every class, blaming incomplete syllabus coverage for poor performance in national examinations.
Gore said some pupils reach Primary Seven without adequate preparation because teachers fail to cover the required content, undermining their chances of performing well in the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE).
“By the time they reach P7, these children are half-baked, and that’s why they fail UNEB,” Gore said.
His remarks come after Arua District recorded only 13 candidates in Division One in the 2025 PLE, placing it among the lowest-performing districts in the West Nile region.
Gore issued the directive during the handover of renovated classroom blocks at six primary schools: Endreku, Ave, Aya, Enzeva, Oleni and Ewava. Two other schools, Abiki and Chiaba Cope, received newly constructed classroom blocks.
The projects are part of government efforts to improve learning infrastructure and provide pupils with a more conducive environment for education.
Gore urged headteachers to take responsibility for monitoring classroom instruction, ensuring teachers adhere to the school timetable and cover the prescribed syllabus within the academic year.
Beatrice Obiru, headteacher of Ave Primary School in Vurra, acknowledged the importance of completing the syllabus in improving learners’ academic performance.
She also thanked the government for renovating classroom blocks at the school, saying the improved facilities now accommodate the upper primary classes.
The renovations are expected to ease pressure on classroom space and support teaching and learning at the school.
Arua Chief Administrative Officer Deo Kabugo said the district was working to improve education outcomes through investments in learning infrastructure.
Kabugo said all 12 projects commissioned during the exercise had been implemented according to the approved work plan.
“I am here to confirm that all the twelve projects that we have commissioned were implemented as per the work plan,” he said.
The district’s focus on infrastructure comes alongside calls for stronger supervision of teaching and improved syllabus coverage, as education officials seek to address poor examination performance.
With Arua’s performance in the 2025 PLE raising concern, the RDC’s directive places greater responsibility on school administrators to monitor teachers and ensure pupils receive the required instruction before sitting their national examinations.