The NRM Secretary-General, Rt. Hon. Richard Todwong, has urged parents and community leaders to put in extra effort in supporting their children if their grades are to improve in the Primary Leaving Examinations.
Todwong was speaking to a section of leaders, school head teachers, and members of the PTA from Nwoya district who were gathered at Nwoya district headquarters yesterday, Saturday.
He called upon parents to get so much involved in helping their children attain the best education possible by buying school equipment, offering counseling and advice, especially to the young girls, and packing food for them to ensure pupils concentrate on learning while in class.
"Parents must play their roles. Let your children know the value of education and the advantages they have over those who haven’t gone to school. The burden of raising a responsible generation cannot be relegated to only the government and teachers. It is a joint effort by all stakeholders," SG Todwong said.
Although there were disruptions in parenting due to the long LRA war, which claimed many parents, leaving behind orphans to fend for themselves, Todwong said the government restored peace and communities should wake up to play their roles.
He also expressed fear of emerging social class divisions and a possible social revolt should many children fail to attain education. "We are not going to have a small island of knowledgeable people amidst a sea of ignorance and illiteracy," the former area legislator said, noting, "that can be a ticking time bomb."
"An educated population steers the growth and development of an area. Going to school makes you better in all aspects of life. We are bringing the Parish Development Model (PDM) now, and this requires education to access knowledge," the Secretary-General said.
Teachers’ concerns
The head teachers raised several concerns hindering the performance of schools in Nwoya district, which include inadequate teachers and inadequate teaching facilities like classrooms and furniture.
Other issues raised to the SG include poor access roads leading to schools, salary disparity between teachers of sciences and humanities, among others.