By Naboth Isaac Niwagaba
The State Minister of Finance (general duties) Henry Musasizi has again distributed brand new mattresses to over 100 pupils who performed best in the 2023 Primary Leaving Exams –PLE.
Minister Musasizi, who doubles as Rubanda East Mp and NRM Chairperson Rubanda District, has been rewarding PLE best performers with mattresses each year, and he says the plan is to formally reward school children who work hard to achieve good results, as well as encouraging the lower classes to aim for good grades.
Each year, each Rubanda East P.7 candidate who scores division 1 receives a mattress from Musasizi as they prepare to join the secondary schools. Yesterday, over 100 pupils selected from Bubare Sub county, Bubare Town Council, Hamuhambo Town Council, Hamurwa Sub county, Hamurwa Town Council and Nyamweru Sub county received the mattresses as a reward for scoring Division one in the 2023 PLE exams on Friday.
The Bubare Subcounty LC.3 Chairperson Pius Tumwesigye noted that there had been a significant increase in the number of mattresses being distributed each year. He said that the increase was partly attributed to the pipils’s desire to perform better and be able to get mattresses from their area Mp.
The pupils flocked distribution centres with their parents, at their respective sub counties. The distribution events were also attended by Political leaders and Head teachers.
“In the first years, Hon. Musasizi would buy only 5-10 mattresses for the entire Bubare Sub County, but now look at the car full of mattresses. This shows how impactful his program has been to the pupils,” M.r, Tumwiine said.
The Rweere Primary School Headteacher Mbabazi Andrew noted that Minister Musasizi had also been procuring pre-mock exams for all primary schools in Rubanda East, adding that it was a large contribution to the success of some schools that posted good grades in Rubanda East.
“Every second term of the academic year, our P.7 candidates do exams all procured by the Hon. Musasizi. These exams help us to assess the readiness of the pupils to sit for mock exams which precede PLE,” MR. Mbabazi said.
Despite his School being run under the Universal Primary Education – UPE Program, in 2023 PLE, Rweere P.s posted six in Division I, 22 in Division II and only 3 came in Division III.
The Hamurwa Town Council Mayor Teddy Tumwesigye flagged off distribution of the mattresses for Hamurwa Town Council. In her speech, Ms. Tumwesigye thanked Minister Musasizi for continuously rewarding the PLE Best performers, adding that it was also one way of reducing the burden of school requirements faced by parents.
Mr. William Rusinga, a parent from Kataraga Cell in Hamuhambo Town Council used the opportunity to ask teachers to prevent the pupils joining secondary schools from engaging in dissolute behavior, such as escaping from school, alcohol consumption, fornication and other forms of conduct that would negatively affect their performance in school.
Meanwhile, the Bubare Town Council Mayor Geral Rukira asked Minister Musasizi to also consider extending the mattress program to secondary schools, beginning with the S.4 candidates who perform best in the Uganda Certificate of Education-UCE.
“We have seen how effective this program has been in motivating the primary school children to perform well. I don’t know if resources are available, but it’s my humble prayer that the Hon. Minister can extend this program to secondary schools and I’m sure we can produce better grades at S.4” Mr. Rukira said.
