PEAS (Promoting Equality in African Schools) is working with Ark, an international children’s organisation with extensive experience of improving access to quality education around the world, including running a network of schools in disadvantaged areas of the UK. Combining PEAS’ experience with Ark’s rigorous focus on quality and measuring results, we will radically improve the life chances of every student in an Ark-PEAS school.One of the first schools in the Ark-PEAS partnership is the Ark-PEAS High School Malongo in Mayuge.Situated near Lake Victoria, fishing is a major trade in Mayuge district and many young people are encouraged to fish rather than complete their education, which contributes to the generally low educational standards in the district.
There is a real feeling within Mayuge district that educational standards need to improve so that children are given the opportunity to move away from subsistence fishing and pursue other careers. The District Education Officer for Mayuge, Stephen Kyakwise, believes passionately that more secondary schools are needed to make that a possibility.
‘The number of students in Kigandaalo and Malongo that go from primary to secondary is so narrow. We need to have more secondaries so we can push children through to complete their education. The problem now is that there aren’t enough secondaries. If we can have a secondary school in these places, then primary school drop-out will not be such a problem and less children will leave to become subsistence fishermen. PEAS can help the government to solve this problem’
[related_posts]We are glad to be able to help provide more educational opportunities for young people in Mayuge District through this Ark-PEAS school. The school will be jointly managed by the Ark-PEAS partnership.
School Director Robert Isooba and Headteacher Ismail Luwangula lead a staff of seven teaching staff and seven non-teaching staff to provide 10 ‘O’ level subjects. The school also has an arable income generating project growing maize.