By Vicent Emong
Kumi District leaders have announced a districtwide back-to-school campaign aimed at addressing low pupil enrollment in government schools as the first term gets underway.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Office of the Resident District Commissioner, seeks to mobilize parents, teachers and education stakeholders to ensure that all school-age children return to class.
Speaking to the press, Irene Akello, Assistant Resident District Commissioner in charge of Kanyum County, said many government schools across the district are recording poor attendance despite the official reopening of term one.
“The enrollment of learners in many government schools across the district is still very poor, which is why we are resorting to this campaign,” Akello said.
She explained that the district plans to bring on board stakeholders in the education sector, including School Management Committees (SMCs) and Parents and Teachers Associations (PTAs), to develop new strategies to improve attendance and keep children in school.
Akello noted that government continues to fund free education programs such as Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Universal Secondary Education (USE) to ensure that all learners can access education regardless of their economic background.
“The government often does its part by sending funds to schools through UPE and USE to make education accessible, but it is worrying that many learners are still at home,” she said.
As part of the campaign, Akello revealed that local education committees may conduct monitoring and patrols during school hours to identify children who are absent without valid reasons. Parents found keeping children at home could face penalties.
“We are monitoring the reopening of schools this term, and wherever we have gone, we have discovered that the turnout of pupils in various government schools is very low,” she said.
She also urged parents to provide their children with basic scholastic materials such as books and pens to support their learning.
According to Akello, seasonal farming activities during the rainy season are partly to blame, as some parents reportedly keep children at home to assist with agricultural work.
“We are aware that it is the rainy season and some parents are taking advantage of this to retain learners at home for farm work,” she added.
District leaders have now called for teamwork among parents, teachers and local authorities to ensure that every child reports to school and remains in class throughout the term.
Officials say the campaign will continue in the coming weeks as the district seeks to improve enrollment and strengthen education outcomes.
