Overview:
The Education Department has identified the ten worst-performing schools. At Bugayo Primary School, 12 out of 20 candidates were ungraded; at Muwangi R/C, 10 out of 19 candidates were ungraded; at St. Matia Mulumba P/S, 10 out of 22 candidates were ungraded; and at Namakofu P/S, 12 out of 20 candidates were ungraded.
The Luwero District Education Department has directed headteachers of ten government primary schools to explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against them following poor performance in the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE). According to the PLE results, 989 out of 16,720 candidates who sat the examinations in Luwero were ungraded.
The Education Department has identified the ten worst-performing schools. At Bugayo Primary School, 12 out of 20 candidates were ungraded; at Muwangi R/C, 10 out of 19 candidates were ungraded; at St. Matia Mulumba P/S, 10 out of 22 candidates were ungraded; and at Namakofu P/S, 12 out of 20 candidates were ungraded.
Other poorly performing schools include Bombo UMEA P/S, where 36 out of 97 candidates were ungraded; Lukomera C/U, where 22 out of 56 candidates were ungraded; Luteete UMEA, where 22 out of 68 candidates were ungraded; and St. Peter Ssemyungu P/S, where 17 out of 52 candidates were ungraded.
Hajji Yusuf Kamulegeya, the Luwero District Inspector of Schools, said the headteachers have been instructed to submit written explanations accounting for the poor performance before disciplinary action is considered. Erastus Kibirango, the LC5 Chairman of Luwero District, said that last year he met headteachers and tasked them with ensuring improved performance or facing consequences.
Kibirango said headteachers of the worst-performing schools will be summoned to defend themselves, and those who fail to provide satisfactory explanations risk facing disciplinary measures, including removal from office. He added that not only the ten worst-performing schools will be required to account for their results, but every headteacher—including those whose single candidate was ungraded—will also be required to defend themselves.
However, William Bogere, the headteacher of Namakofu Primary School, attributed the poor performance to a shortage of teachers during the academic year and persistent pupil absenteeism. “In 2025, three of the eight teachers were transferred, and no one was replaced in time. This left the learners without adequate teachers, which partly explains the poor performance. Also to note, the school is located in a rural area where absenteeism remains a big challenge, as children often stay home to attend to family activities,” Bogere said.
David Ssebambulidde, the headteacher of St. Peter Ssemyungu Primary School, and other affected headteachers declined to comment when approached by our reporter. At least 11,814 pupils have failed PLE in Luwero since 2015, and the majority have reportedly dropped out of school.
The results show that 1,085 candidates were ungraded in 2024, 1,264 in 2023, 1,347 in 2022, and 1,220 in 2021, among other years. The highest number of ungraded candidates was recorded in 2016, when 1,432 out of 11,328 candidates were ungraded. In 2014, 1,357 out of 10,760 candidates were ungraded.
PLE records further indicate that over the past ten years, an additional 3,572 registered candidates did not turn up to sit the examinations. Although ungraded candidates are allowed to repeat Primary Seven and resit the examinations, headteachers say many do not return to school, leading to high dropout rates and increased risk of semi-illiteracy.
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