Amuru Pupils Abandon Classes to Hunt Edible Rats

The enrollment of school going children in Olinga Primary School in Amuru district has fallen sharply due to hunting of edible rats. 

Since the first term began two weeks ago, only a handful of children have returned to classes in the school. Area leaders say majority of the children are still engaged in bushmeat hunting for domestic and commercial purposes.

Charles Openy, the Olinga Village Chairperson in Labala parish says the pupils are engaged in hunting edible rats in the foot Lili, Tugu, Atyeno, Kilak and Cam Got hills. He says the area consists of vast jungles rich in edible rats, antelopes, warthogs and different birds' species such as guinea fowl.

Pauline Toopaco, the Olinga Primary School Senior Woman teacher says less than 100 pupils have returned to class since the beginning of the school term. She blames parents for ignoring education of their children.

Benedict Tokuma, the Olinga Primary School headteacher said they are sensitizing parents to send their children to school to improve enrolment. He adds that some parents had to be threatened with Police arrests for failing to prevail over their children to attend school.

Apollo Okello, the Amuru District Secretary for Education says they will invoke the district education ordinance against such parents and the pupils to galvanize education in the district.

He says such wastage of time is to blame for poor performance of pupils in National Examinations in the district. 

None of the 35 pupils who sat their Primary Leaving Examinations-PLE obtained first grade.

Elsewhere, the district posted a paltry 43 pupils in first grade out of the 3,018 registered candidates.