Kabale Father’s House Children Win Silver and Bronze Academic Medals

By Alison L. Barfoot (The Rev. Canon Dr.), Executive Director of GO Africa

How one scores on the “Primary Leaving Exam” (PLE) at the end of 7th grade in Uganda can determine your whole future. There are not enough places available in secondary schools in the country to accommodate all the children finishing primary school after 7th grade. So, the competition to get a place in secondary school – let alone a quality secondary school – is fierce and very intense. The scores on the PLE exam determine eligibility for secondary schools.

The children of the Kabale Father’s House attend the Rwere Primary School, a historic primary school established by missionaries in the 1920’s. The current Minister of Health and Governor of the Bank of Uganda (the Central Bank) attended Rwere Primary School. But, in recent years, the school had fallen into disrepair and the children performed very poorly in the PLE exam…until the Father’s House was established literally across the street and its 100 children began attending the school.

The school calendar in Uganda runs from February to November. The “summer” vacation takes place in December and January. Last year, eight Father’s House children were finishing primary school in the 7th grade. It was time for them to take the PLE exam. The results of the PLE came out a few weeks ago, and out of 35 children at Rwere Primary School who sat for the exam, Father’s House children placed 2nd, 3rd, and 4th from their school. In the academic “Olympics” of Rwere Primary School’s Primary Leaving Exam, they got the silver and bronze medals and came in 4th place.

Derrick Ndyareeba – #2                      Agnes Kembabazi – #3                        Michael Arinda – #4

So far in 2014, there are 15 Father’s House children in the 7th grade, preparing to take the PLE in November. The top ten students in the 7th grade are currently from the Father’s House.

Rwere Primary School Students

The Headmaster said, “The reason these children are doing so well in school is because they are taking their education seriously. They stay after school for extra tutorial sessions. They are well fed and they get a lot of encouragement from the Father’s House to study hard and value their education. They also have electricity at The Father’s House, which means they can also read at night. The Father’s House has had a big impact on the whole school, and we thank God so much for the Father’s House.”

Rwere Primary School Teachers and Staff