Inmates excel in 2014 PLE

KAMPALA. More than half of inmates at Luzira Maximum Security Prison who sat for the 2014 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) have qualified for secondary education.
The results released last week saw 63 of the 81 candidates registered at the Luzira-based Upper Prison School excel up to the fourth grade.
Only seven candidates failed to secure the required aggregate for secondary entry while others did not sit the examinations because they were either released or were attending court proceedings.
Five best students who scored first grades include Ronald Bukenya and Jude Mutebi who scored Aggregate 9 but were released late last year.
Others are Alimance Buluma, Charles Peter Olugu and Mark Jose Zaale. They each garnered Aggregate 11. Queen Nayebale was the only one who passed, out of the three women who registered for the exams.
Mr Anatoli Biryomumisho, the head of the prison based schools, said last week the performance 2014 exceeded that of 2013 in terms of aggregate scored and number of students registered.
“In 2013, we enrolled 72 candidates. People need to understand this primary school is privately owned with a population of more than 900 pupils but depending on handouts and good will of the commissioner general of Prisons,” he said.
He appealed to the education ministry and city authorities to take on their role of grant aiding the school.

“Here at Luzira Prison, we have a reason to celebrate any success because prisoners are considered as rejects of society but our mission is to rehabilitate and reclaim them. It is a journey unseen towards rehabilitation but government bodies need to team up with us for any better success,” said Mr Biryomumisho, a senior welfare officer of the Uganda Prisons.

Mr Fred Ndorere, an inmate head teacher of the school said that the current increase in enrollment needs a joint effort between stakeholders.

“This is a unique area of studying but the learners are adults with various challenges who need to first undergo a period of counseling before joining the school but the teachers here are inmates, and we depend on handouts yet we are part of the government plan,” wondered Mr Ndorere, a former death row inmate.

The numbers

63
The number of pupils at the Luzira-based Upper Prison School who passed PLE.

9
The number of pupils at the Luzira-based Upper Prison School who scored first grades.
81
The number of pupils who registered for the examinations last year.

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