By Abraham Ekwaru, Communication Officer Soroti

The government has commissioned a new two-classroom block at Tukum Primary School in Arapai Sub- County, Soroti District, to address the growing challenge of classroom shortages caused by increasing pupil enrollment.

The facility, which also includes a head teacher’s office, was officially handed over to the school community by the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) for Soroti, Hajji Imran Muluga, on Thursday last week. The block was constructed at a cost of Shs93 million under the 2024/2025 financial year education development budget.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Hajji Muluga praised the government for prioritizing education infrastructure, noting that quality learning begins with a conducive environment.

“Government remains committed to ensuring that all children study in safe and decent classrooms,” he said. “Now that this facility has been completed, I urge the teachers, pupils, and parents to work together to produce better academic results. The government has played its part; it is now the school’s turn.”

He warned school administrators against mismanaging public facilities and emphasized that every classroom built with taxpayers’ money should translate into improved performance.

The Head Teacher of Tukum Primary School, Ms Christine Asire, welcomed the project, saying it has come at a time when the school was struggling with congestion due to the increasing number of pupils.

She revealed that the school currently has 928 pupils, a number that has stretched available classrooms beyond capacity.

“Some of our classes had over 100 learners squeezed together, which made effective teaching difficult,” Ms Asire said. “With this new block, we will be able to decongest the lower classes and improve learning conditions.”

She added that the new block will mainly accommodate Primary One and Primary Two learners, who have been most affected by overcrowding.

Mr Esele Ojamuge, the Chairperson of the School Management Committee (SMC), commended government for its continued support toward improving education facilities in rural schools.

“We are grateful for this support. The community has long faced a shortage of classrooms, and this new block brings great relief to both teachers and pupils,” Mr Ojamuge said.

The Soroti District Chairperson, Mr Simon Peter Edoru Ekuu, , challenged the school to translate the improved infrastructure into better results.

“We now expect improved academic performance to reflect the new facilities. Good buildings should go hand in hand with good grades,” he said.

He also called on teachers to ensure regular supervision of pupils and urged parents to play an active role in supporting education.

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