Chegere Sub County Suspends Automatic Promotion Policy

Chegere Sub- County authorities in Apac district have resolved to suspend the policy of automatic promotion of pupils as one of the measures to improve educational performance in schools there.  

The decision was reached in Parents Teacher’s Association-PTA and School Management Committee meetings convened in 14 government aided schools in the sub county. The meeting noting with concern that the Automatic Promotion policy has seen the Sub County register a drastic decline in performance.

 

Innocent Abongo, the Community Development Officer Chegere Sub County, says many schools in area are still performing poorly due to implementation of the automatic promotion policy. Abongo explained that during their recent educational tour in Mbale district, they discovered that many schools in the area had suspended the policy of automatic promotion.  

 

He says learners who failed to score the required average marks are either made to repeat the same class or demoted, which has helped schools to yield good results. According to Abongo they are now thinking beyond the guideline of Universal Primary Education to improve performance in schools. 

Among the measures put in place include an education task force placed at all levels as well as reactivated Head Teacher’s Association and assessment of all P.6 pupils before they are promoted to P.7.

 

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Veronica Alum, a resident of Adem parish in Chegere Sub County observed that due to the automatic promotion policy many children are dropping out of school since most of them lose interest in studies when they reach primary seven and fail Exams.

Fred Ojuka and another parent and resident of Ololango parish, says all children should be made to repeat the class they fail. Adding that continues assessment should be done to strengthen their competencies and improve performance.

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The Acting Apac District Education Officer, Sam Atim blamed the poor performance to a number of factors ranging from poor implementation of the school feeding program and attitude of parents towards education among others.

Atim described the move as a consensus of parents themselves wanting to have a system to provide quality education for their children.

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He commended the current Sub County leadership for investing more in education and ensuring that a positive change is registered.  

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In 2019, only 03 candidates in Chengere Sub County scored grade one. Government introduced the automatic promotion policy in 2007 as a means to promote Universal Education among school going age children. Under the policy, learners under Universal Primary Education and Universal Secondary Education automatically progress from one class to another without considering the quality of their performance.