ALEBTONG SCHOOL DISPUTE RAISES CONCERNS OVER PLE CANDIDATES' PREPARATION

By Lango Sub-region Correspondent | Osmara Digital Media

ALEBTONG DISTRICT, UGANDA — Concerns have emerged over the welfare of Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) candidates in Alebtong District following the arrest and four-day detention of three head teachers, prompting local leaders to urge education personnel to maintain normal school operations as preparations for national examinations continue.

The three head teachers were arrested on Monday, October 19, 2026, over allegations of inflating pupil enrollment figures at their respective schools. The incident raised concerns among fellow head teachers, with some saying the arrests had affected their morale and confidence in managing schools.

The matter was discussed on Friday, October 23, during a stakeholders' meeting involving head teachers, Members of Parliament and district education officials at Bar Opira Primary School in Ajuri County and Alira Primary School in Moroto County.

The meeting was chaired by Ajuri County MP Fred Jalameso, alongside Moroto County MP Leo Elem.

Teachers express concern over pressure

Milly Akullu, head teacher of Akwangel Primary School and chairperson of Alebtong District head teachers, said allegations against school administrators should be handled professionally rather than through actions that leave teachers feeling intimidated.

She said the recent events had left head teachers disorganised and raised concerns about their ability to continue working under pressure.

"We don't want to die with pressure; we have children to feed and want to swallow our medicine well while we are stable. If not, we are going to lay down our tools and go sit back home," Akullu said.

Her remarks highlighted concerns about teachers' welfare at a time when schools are preparing learners for their examinations.

However, no evidence was presented at the meeting to establish that PLE candidates had missed lessons or that examination preparations had already been disrupted.

MPs demand answers over arrests

Jalameso criticised the circumstances surrounding the arrests and pledged to pursue the matter to establish why the head teachers were detained.

He urged teachers to understand their rights and called for allegations against them to be handled through appropriate procedures.

Elem also questioned the operation, saying he intended to establish who had authorised the arrests.

The MPs' intervention focused on accountability and the need to ensure that security operations do not unnecessarily interfere with the administration of schools.

District leaders urge teachers to return

Alebtong District Chairperson Ambrose Ongom said the arrests occurred at a sensitive time as schools prepared for PLE.

He said district leaders had agreed on measures intended to prevent further problems while investigations continued.

Ongom appealed to head teachers to resume their duties to ensure that learners could continue preparing for their examinations.

"Let us get back to school for the betterment of our young generation," he said.

Assistant Resident District Commissioner Lameck Ongom apologised for what had happened and pledged that it would not be repeated, although investigations would continue.

District Education Officer Moses Agel also appreciated the MPs for intervening and encouraged head teachers to return to their schools.

Enrollment allegations under investigation

The three head teachers were accused of inflating pupil enrollment figures.

Okwel Norbert of Amononeno Primary School in Ajuri was accused of increasing enrollment from 1,000 to 1,531 pupils. Odongo Charles of Amugu Quran was accused of raising the figures from 879 to 1,015, while Okello Emmanuel of Owalo Primary School was accused of increasing enrollment from 174 to 371.

The allegations have not been established as proven wrongdoing, and clarification from the relevant authorities is needed.

Meanwhile, Education and Sports Minister Peter Ogwang reportedly directed Alebtong District Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to release Universal Primary Education (UPE) capitation grants sent to the district in July after learning that the funds had not yet been disbursed to head teachers.

The grants support school operations, making their timely release important to education service delivery.

Pupils' welfare remains a priority

The dispute has drawn attention to the need to protect learners from any potential disruption arising from disagreements between teachers and district authorities.

Whether the incident has affected teaching, revision programmes or other examination preparations remains to be established through further engagement with schools, parents and learners.

For PLE candidates, the immediate priority is to continue receiving the instruction and support they need as they prepare for their examinations.

District authorities are expected to address the concerns raised by teachers while allowing investigations into the disputed enrollment figures to proceed through appropriate channels.