Our school retention figures are amazing - we mention this because the problem of children dropping out of school is extremely common in Uganda. Our school drop-out rate is less than 1%, while the official national primary school dropout rate is 47%.
Child of Hope Primary School is recognised as a model school in Mbale, often hosting teachers from other schools in the district who want to develop their professional practice. The staff pupil ratio of about 1:20 is unusually high, as it can be as low as 1:100 in other local schools. This is achieved by employing teaching assistants to work alongside the fully qualified teachers.
The quality of teaching and learning in the school are regularly assessed. A holistic approach to children’s development is ensured by also employing health and welfare professionals. Parents are encouraged to discuss their children’s progress with the class teacher or Head, which has led to increased parental participation in their children’s learning.
All of which contributes to the high success rates achieved by our children in the Primary Leaving Exam, a national exam where our highest level (Division 1) rate is 44%, compared to the national figure of just 9%.
We provide education for 546 children currently, including 75 who have moved up to local secondary schools. This is all handled by our 70 paid staff in Uganda.