Dokolo, Uganda | Iguli Girls Secondary School, one of the two girls’ schools in Dokolo District, is grappling with critical infrastructure shortages as candidates prepare for the 2025 national examinations.
On Tuesday, October 7, the school dedicated 74 candidates, 57 in Senior Four and 17 in Senior Six, to God ahead of their Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) and Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) exams.
Headteacher Apili Anna said the school lacks key facilities, including a science laboratory, library, computer laboratory, fence, and administration block.
She appealed for government intervention and urged NRM flagbearer Joseph Jones Ogwal, who attended the ceremony, to advocate for the school if elected MP for Dokolo North in 2026.
Apili noted that Ogwal had previously donated UGX 500,000 to support the school’s sports activities at both district and national levels.
She emphasized that the development of any nation rests on educating the girl child, describing girls’ education as the cornerstone of sustainable growth.
NRM parliamentary flagbearer Joseph Jones Ogwal commended the peaceful environment created by the government, saying it now allows learners to focus on academics without the fear of insecurity that affected the region during the Lord’s Resistance Army insurgency.
He said there is no excuse for students not to excel under such stability.
Ogwal pledged to make Iguli Girls Secondary School a pilot centre for his Girl Child Empowerment Programme and to train five doctors and thirty nurses during his 2026–2031 term as MP to build a critical mass of health professionals in the community.
He expressed concern about the rise in teenage pregnancies, saying many girls aged 14 were becoming mothers and vowed to promote equal education opportunities for both genders.
He said education remains the most effective tool for ending poverty and gender inequality.
Erechu Lameck Tonny, Dokolo District Inspector of Schools, urged parents to remain committed to paying school fees and supporting their children’s education beyond O’ and A’levels.
He reminded students that success requires effort, discipline, and consistency.
Rev. Fr. Francis Elvis Ojok, the Chairperson Board of Governors, said the school continues to operate peacefully despite a recent drop in enrolment caused by teacher disputes.
He explained that some teachers who were transferred had lured students to other schools but maintained that Iguli Girls remains among the best-performing institutions in the district.
Fr. Ojok urged parents to seek accurate information directly from the school rather than relying on rumours.
He also noted that no student has ever been reported pregnant since he began serving as Board Chair.
The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has scheduled the 2025 UCE examinations to begin with a briefing on October 10, marking the second year of assessment under the Competency-Based Curriculum, while the UACE examinations will commence with a briefing on November 7, serving as the final stage of the 2025 academic calendar.