Anthony Nam smiles warmly as he welcomes visitors into his modest office at Aloni Primary School in Iceme Sub-county, Oyam District. As head teacher of the government-aided institution located in Aloni Parish, his quiet composure reflects a newfound optimism for a school community that has spent years navigating systemic educational hurdles.
Mr Nam is among more than 360 educators spanning 32 schools across Oyam, Arua, Alebtong, and Kole districts who have benefited from a comprehensive capacity-building initiative designed to overhaul classroom instruction. Organised by the Foundation for Inclusive Community Help (FICH), a local non-governmental organisation, and supported by Echidna Giving, the three-year foundational learning programme brought on board all 14 teachers at Aloni in a bid to drastically boost learning outcomes.
Reflecting on the school’s progress from his office, Mr Nam notes that the intervention addressed long-standing gaps in lesson delivery and teacher preparation.
‘I have seen a great change. The greatest is in teachers’ preparation,’ Mr Nam said. ‘I used to struggle with teachers on lesson plans, schemes of work, and preparing teaching and learning aids. The training has really helped both the teachers and the learners. Learning has become something interesting.’
A follow-up training conducted in March 2026 targeted the creation of practical teaching resources, forcing school administrators to re-evaluate common assumptions regarding teacher readiness fresh out of training colleges.
‘We take it for granted that teachers were trained in their colleges and so they know what to do,’ Mr Nam explained. ‘But they didn’t know, and the few who were trying were using very old methods. Now the training has updated them. They can make the lesson plan, prepare the scheme of work, and at least prepare the learning aids.’
To support classroom implementation, FICH provided beneficiary schools with essential supplies, including Manila cards and markers, supplementing the limited materials procured by administration teams.
Beyond individual instruction, the training helped curb teacher avoidance linked to skill deficiencies. According to Mr Nam, educators who previously lacked confidence tended to dodge tasks for fear of exposing their technical gaps. Following the workshops, staff at Aloni instituted departmental team scheming across mathematics, English, social studies, and science, allowing teachers to draft schemes of work collaboratively.
While top-tier primary leaving results remain elusive, school leaders emphasize that foundational progress is taking root. Aloni Primary School last registered a First Grade candidate in the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) in 2014. In the 2025 PLE, none of the 60 candidates achieved a Division One score; however, 58 qualified to transition into secondary education and post-primary vocational institutions.
More recently, mock examination results released in September 2026 for 44 candidates showed 10 scoring second grade, 20 in third grade, six in fourth grade, and eight ungraded. Candidates across the district are set to sit their final UNEB exams on November 3 and 4.
‘Though we did not get any learners in Division One in PLE in 2025, first of all, I am focusing on those who could transition to the next level of education,’ Mr Nam said. ‘To me, that is a fairly good result.’
The impact of the pedagogical shift is echoed in neighboring institutions. At Loro Primary School in Loro Town Council, Mr Samuel Bwonyo, the teachers’ representative on the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), highlighted how practical teaching approaches are replacing rote learning.
‘The methodologies we were introduced to during the sessions have made me more of a model teacher,’ Mr Bwonyo said. ‘When I teach a topic in agriculture, the learners should go back and practise it, so that it becomes life-changing, not theoretical as we were doing before.’
Local government education officials have commended the targeted intervention, noting visible improvements in lower-primary literacy levels across the district.
Mr David Adea, the Oyam District Education Officer, noted that FICH’s field model sets it apart from standard development programmes operating in the region.
‘If you go to schools where they operate, you will find the level of literacy has improved,’ Mr Adea said. ‘Most children are able to read and write. That is the bedrock of our education.’
Mr Adea emphasized that mastering early literacy and numeracy in Primary One through Primary Three provides pupils with the necessary tools to grasp complex concepts in upper primary classes. He urged funding partners to expand the project beyond the current 32 schools, praising its additional support toward girls’ education and life skills development across the district.