We have recently begun working with this school in northern Uganda. Koch Goma P7 is very large primary school located in the Nwoya District of Northern Uganda. The school lies over 30km from Gulu on the outskirts of a trading centre. With over 1,400 pupils enrolled it is one of the largest schools in all of Nwoya District. Though impressive in terms of enrolment figures, the school struggles to provide quality education. Nwoya as a district is the 3rd worst in Uganda with regard to exam results in 2011.
We are excited at the prospect of working with this Koch Goma. A new and inspirational headteacher is determined to improve the school and the education of his pupils. Both the local community and the school management are supporting Koc Goma in its road to improvement and there is an incredible feeling of motivation in the community.
The current situation
The infrastructure at the school is insufficient; it has poor sanitation and very few desks and books. The school also suffers from a high dropout rate amongst pupils and severe absenteeism amongst its teachers. All of these factors lead to parents having low confidence in the school and the school performing very badly in terms of academic performance.
However, with the appointment of a new and inspiring head teacher changes are already starting to happen. This is reflected in parents’ confidence in the school and enrollment rates are once more increasing – a 10% increase in the last year.
We will be supporting Koch Goma over the next three years to help them realize their goal of providing a quality education for all the pupils.
