Oyam, Uganda | A total of 2,439 pupils, representing 43% of the 5,702 candidates who sat for the 2025 Primary Seven mock examinations in Oyam District, have been placed in Division U, the outright failure category.
The sharp figure has triggered widespread concern among education leaders and community stakeholders.
The results, released at the Oyam District Council Room, on Tuesday, September 17, 2025, revealed that only 98 pupils, just 2% achieved Division One, while 764 (13%) were placed in Division Two.
Another 845 (15%) fell into Division Three, 1,285 (23%) into Division Four, and 224 (4%) were ungraded in Division X.
Despite a rise in the number of candidates compared to last year, performance levels dropped significantly.
According to Thomas Bosa Okello, Secretary for Oyam District Examination Board, the 2025 examinations were poorly executed compared to 2024, with private schools producing most of the top performers.
He noted that the gap between private and government schools continued to pose a major challenge to equitable learning outcomes.
Of the total candidates, 3,130 were boys (55%), and 2,572 were girls (45%).
Kamdini Sub-county registered the best performance overall, followed by Oyam Town Council.
Education leaders identified poor reading comprehension, weak English proficiency, and insufficient exam preparation as major barriers.
Many pupils also struggled with answering structured questions and showed gaps in critical thinking skills.
Beatrice Hellen Auma, Oyam District Secretary for Education and Sports, said the current results should serve as a wake-up call and insisted that schools must take full responsibility for preparing candidates adequately.
She urged headteachers to strengthen leadership within schools and to engage teachers more actively in efforts to raise performance.
Joan Ketty Apio, Headmistress of Alworopii Primary School, observed that the lack of feeding programs was undermining learning and appealed for stronger parental and community support.
Maxwell Okao, Headteacher of Akucawitim Primary School, suggested grouping learners according to their academic ability to help improve overall outcomes.
District Education Officer David Adea emphasized that teachers needed to pay close attention to correcting mistakes identified in the mock examinations.
He also appealed to the government to address systemic issues by improving teacher welfare, including salaries and incentives.
Adea warned that unless urgent interventions were made, the national Primary Leaving Examinations later this year could reflect even worse outcomes.
The poor results have left many parents and community members worried, with education officials stressing that both government and households must work together to reverse the declining trend.