A section of education stakeholders in Kabale District has expressed mixed reactions following the demotion of 15 headteachers, over poor performance in the 2025 Primary Leaving Examinations-PLE.
On Thursday, Kabale Acting Chief Administrative Officer Robert Mugabe informed the district council of the decision after the Chairperson of the Health, Education, Sports and Community-Based Services Standing Committee, Lydia Turyasingura, presented a recommendation during a council session. The committee had proposed sanctions for schools that performed poorly in the 2025 PLE, while recommending rewards for those that excelled.
In response, Mugabe, without disclosing the affected schools or individuals confirmed that 15 headteachers had been demoted to classroom teachers due to what he described as shameful performance. He noted that the district registered only 219 First Grades, calling it a worrying decline in academic standards. Deputy headteachers and senior teachers have since been tasked with leading recovery efforts in their respective schools.
Gideon Tumwesigye, a teacher with 15 years of experience, welcomed the move, saying some headteachers had become lax in executing their duties. However, he cautioned that the decision could pile pressure on newly appointed headteachers, potentially pushing some to resort to examination malpractice in a bid to impress district authorities.
Tumwesigye, who also serves as Kigezi regional speaker for the People’s Front for Freedom, urged government to increase teachers’ remuneration and called on parents to take greater responsibility for their children’s education instead of relying solely on funds from the Universal Primary Education-UPE programme.
CUE IN TUMWESIGYE….ON DEMOTION….RR/ENG//
Leopold Twesigye, a parent in Kabale District, also supported the district’s action, arguing that some of the affected headteachers had been earning government salaries without delivering results. He partly blamed the situation on what he described as laxity among school inspectors and cautioned parents against abdicating their responsibilities in their children’s education.
CUE IN TWESIGYE…ON DEMOTION….RR//
However, Robert Byamugisha Kakuru, Director of Kick Corruption Out of Uganda, opposed the demotions. He warned that the move could create fear among serving headteachers, potentially undermining academic performance rather than improving it.
Byamugisha who is also a teacher, instead called on government to improve the learning environment in schools and enhance teachers’ pay, arguing that sustainable academic improvement depends on systemic support rather than punitive measures.
CUE IN KAKURU…..ON DEMOTION…..RR/ENG//
