Leaders of Oyam District Local Government raised alarm over the low frequency of school inspections by school inspectors in Oyam District, claiming it is creating weaknesses in the education department.
The issue was brought to the forefront by Beatrice Okello, the Secretary for Education and Sports, during a recent district council session. Okello revealed that some schools in the district had not undergone frequent formal inspections throughout the term, a situation that has left many educators and councilors concerned about the effectiveness of the district’s education system.
“This is a serious problem,” Okello said. “Without regular inspections, we risk compromising the quality of education in our schools. Our children deserve better oversight.”
Her statements were echoed by several other councilors, who voiced their concern that the lack of inspections could affect both teaching standards and the allocation of resources for schools in need.
District Chairperson Hon. Benson Walter Dila Oyuku, in response, said he would take immediate action to rectify the situation and ensure that all schools are inspected in the first term this year because inspection is an essential part of maintaining quality education.
However, Ms. Acon Janet, the Oyam District Senior Inspector of Schools, responded by explaining that delays often occur in submitting the reports to the district council, causing confusion. She added that inspection reports are only valid for four days, so some reports expire before they can be submitted for review.
Oyam District has a total of 109 government-headed primary schools and only 8 secondary schools. In the just-released Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) results, 159 students achieved Division One, 1,861 passed in Division Two, 1,645 got Division Three, 804 received Division Four, 1,126 achieved Division U, and 75 failed (Division X). The total number of candidates who sat for the exam in Oyam District was 5,670.
