CIVIL SOCIETY SUPPORT TO EDUCATION SECTOR CONTRIBUTES TO ACADEMIC IMPROVEMENT.

The six years of Good Hope foundation for Rural development’s work in Bundibugyo District under Rwenzori consortium for civic competence (RWECO) have revealed a great contribution towards improved academic performance in the District.

Good Hope Foundation has for years been engaged in monitoring service delivery in the Education, Health and Agriculture sectors in Kasese,Ntoroko,Kabarole and Bundibugyo as well as engaging stakeholders basing on the evidence based reports compiled by community based monitors.

Taking a case of Bundibugyo District where Good Hope Foundation staff, District leaders and community monitors conducted a joint tracking survey in the education sector in May,2015, findings reveal a great contribution towards improved education sector as summarized below;

General academic Performance in the District, in 2014

DIV.1		DIV. 2				DIV.3			DIV.4			DIV.U			DIV.X
M	F	TT	M	F	TT	M	F	TT	M	F	TT	M	F	TT	M	F	TT	TT
229	119	348	1166	748	1914	275	224	499	155	122	277	83	61	144	96	76	172	3354
		10.9%			60.2%			14.7%			8.7%			4.5%			5.1%

 

Annual District academic performance comparison

YEAR	DIV 1	% INCREASE
2014	348	115%
2013	162	17%
2012	139	56%
2011	89	31%
2010	68	……..

2014 Performance Analysis

Good Hope Foundation staff,Masereka Ernest having a sharing with Mantoroba primary school headteacher about academic performance(Dont mind about the date,the camera was mistakenly not set)

• 348 candidates scored division 1, of whom 229(66%) were boys and 119(34%) were girls.
• Of 348 candidates in DIV.1, only 92 candidates were from UPE Schools, although it was an improvement from 30 in 2013. 

Reasons for academic performance improvement in 2014

• The 256 DIV.1 candidates in private schools is attributed to Boarding program in some schools, heavy financial contribution of parents and strict supervision by head teachers.

• ·         Support from NGOs and other stakeholders in monitoring, reporting and financial support.

• ·         Good use of increased funding for inspection and D.E.O’S FACILITATION

• ·         Team work and collaboration among stakeholders, like Good Hope Foundation facilitating joint monitoring, occasionally.

• ·         Political support and supervision

• ·         School feeding program in some schools

• ·         Increased mobilization of communities to support education through meetings and the media.

Causes of poor performance in  schools still lagging behind.

• ·         Negative attitude about the value of education by some parents

•    Automatic promotion

• ·         Unnecessary transfers of pupils

• ·         Late release of UPE funds

• ·         Low teachers’ motivation

• ·         Untimely transfers of teachers

How Teachers' sit down strike affected attendance

The only pupils in class at Mantoroba primary school on the first day of second term

Community based monitors must be applauded for mobilizing education stakeholders in the District which has changed the face of Bundibugyo District compared to the last five years. More support is however still needed especially in strengthening stakeholders’ capacity to sustain the achievements already registered, and investing more in economic empowerment of disadvantaged groups like women, girls and people with disabilities.

HIVOS Netherlands can never be forgotten for the big financial support in the education, Health and Agriculture improvement through enhancing civic competences in the Rwenzori region.