BY DANIEL MUMBYA: More than 500 Primary Seven candidates from seven government primary schools in Iganga Municipality have received examination materials donated by Iganga Municipality Member of Parliament Abedi Nasser Mudiobole to support their preparations for the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE).
The donated materials include mathematical sets, pencils and pens, which Mudiobole said were intended to help candidates overcome challenges that could prevent them from sitting their final examinations.
While addressing pupils at the beneficiary schools, Mudiobole said some candidates in government schools had previously missed examinations because they lacked basic scholastic materials, a situation he said was contributing to poor education outcomes in the district.
“Investing in a child is better than investing in other properties. You may fail to educate your children, but in the long run, everything you have worked for can perish. Educate your children without discrimination, whether boys or girls, because education is the foundation of leadership and development,” Mudiobole said.
The legislator also criticised the Minister of Local Government, Raphael Magyezi? He, however, expressed concern over the reported directive by the Minister of Local Government, Raphael Magyezi, concerning parents’ contributions towards school feeding, arguing that the issue required careful consideration to avoid negatively affecting learners.
Mudiobole said hungry pupils often struggle to concentrate in class and appealed to parents to cooperate with school administrators in providing meals for their children. “A hungry child cannot understand what is being taught in class. My humble appeal is for parents to work with school heads and contribute the little they can towards feeding their children,” he said.
The MP also encouraged adults who had missed out on formal education to return to school and pursue academic qualifications regardless of their age. He said adults could pursue the Primary Leaving Examination, Uganda Certificate of Education and Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education, while also acquiring vocational qualifications through the Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT).
Mudiobole said such qualifications could help people achieve their personal and professional ambitions, including meeting the educational requirements for elective political offices. He further raised concerns about environmental degradation in the Busoga sub-region, attributing it to population growth, early marriages and the expansion of sugarcane cultivation.
He said these challenges were contributing to poverty and called on residents to prioritise productive activities and community development rather than concentrating solely on politics. “Forget politics; it is now time to work and focus on how to develop our communities,” he said.