Lira city, Uganda — St. Gracious Secondary School in Lira City has made history by achieving a wonderful result in the 2025 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) examinations, with all 489 candidates who sat for the exams successfully passing with strong academic performance espicially in science subjects and mathematics.
St.Gracious Sec.Sch. Headteacher Martin Ojok Anyuru, announced this during a press briefing held at the school’s campus in Boke Adegayela Ward, Lira City East Division, on Friday, March 13, 2026—the official release day of the UACE results. St.Gracious Sec.Sch ( SAGRASS) emerged as one of the top-performing schools in the country, showcasing remarkable academic excellence.
“This is not just a victory for St. Gracious Secondary School, but for the entire Northern Uganda,” said Martin Ojok Anyuru.
“We are happy to report that every single one of our 489 students passed the UACE with impressive grades. More importantly, we’ve seen rapid improvement compared to 2024 UACE, especially in science and mathematics subjects.”
The record-breaking scores in Science and Mathematics has places St Gracious among other top performing schools in the country.
The school recorded outstanding individual performances, with 25 students scoring the maximum 20 points, the highest aggregate in the UACE grading system. Among these top achievers, 11 were girls and 14 were boys, reflecting gender balance in academic excellence.
In addition to the perfect scorers, the school produced; 18 candidates with 19 points
22 with 18 points
32 with 17 points
37 with 16 points
45 with 15 points
48 with 14 points
59 with 13 points
51 with 12 points
36 with 11 points
41 with 10 points
26 with 9 points
26 with 8 points
12 with 7 points
7 with 6 points
And 3 candidates with 3 points.
Headteacher Anyuru Marthin attributed the success to discipline, dedicated teaching, and a supportive learning environment. “Our teachers have worked tirelessly, our students have remained focused, and our parents have stood by us through thick and thin hence this result is the fruit of collective effort,” he said.
Anyuru emphasized that the school’s steady academic progress over the years is rooted in its strategic investment in science education. The school recently opened two science laboratories and expanded its library resources to enhance practical learning in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.
“BCM—Biology, Chemistry, and Mathematics—has become our pride in the perfirmance,” said Dr. Patrick Olet, the Executive Director of St. Gracious Secondary Schools.
“These subjects are the engine of innovation, and we are proud that our students are excelling in them. This best result places us among the elite schools in Uganda.”
Dr. Olet commended teachers, learners, and parents for their unwavering commitment. “This is the most successful UACE outcome in our school’s history. It reflects our vision of academic excellence and holistic academic performance and the school development.”
Nationally, a total of 166,400 candidates registered for the 2025 UACE exams, marking a 17.2% increase from the 141,996 candidates in 2024. The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) reported that 98.9% of candidates passed, qualifying for the UACE certificate. Of these, 113,291 met the minimum requirement of two principal passes needed for university admission.
St. Gracious’ perfect pass rate and high-grade distribution place it well at national averages and position it as a model school for other schools to emulate.
Expanding it’s academic excellence, the school management has turned its attention to boosting academic standards at its Leo Atubo Campus in Ngetta, Lira City. The branch school is developing the academic culture rapidly that has made the main campus of SAGRASS, a beacon of excellence.
Hon. Elem Leo, MP elect of Moroto county who doubles as the principle of At.Graciius Schools said “We believe every child deserves quality education. Our dream is to see the Leo Atubo campus rise and shine just like the main SAGRASS. We are already laying the foundation for another academic revolution.”
Hon.Leo made a call for higher Learning as students prepare for university admissions .He also urged students to continue pursuing higher education.
On the other hand Marthin Anyuru encouraged the students saying “Go out there, study hard, earn your degrees, your master’s, and even PhDs. Be the change our nation needs,” Ojok advised. “This is not the end—it’s the beginning of a greater journey.”
With this historic achievement, St. Gracious Secondary School has cemented its reputation as a leading academic institution in Northern Uganda and it has become a national national example of education transformation.
