Kabale Secondary School has re-emerged as one of Kigezi’s education success stories after years of struggling with low enrolment and poor academic performance.
The government-aided school, which started in 1980, has registered significant improvement, with the turnaround attributed to strong leadership, improved discipline, government support and renewed confidence from parents.
Since taking over as head teacher in 2022, Byaruhanga Amon Mwesigye has overseen remarkable growth.
Student enrolment has increased from about 500 learners to 1,590, making it one of the fastest-growing public secondary schools in the region.
According to Mwesigye, restoring discipline among learners has been central to the school’s transformation. He said cases of students escaping from school or participating in strikes have become rare, creating a more conducive environment for learning.
‘We focused on discipline, ensuring learners remain in school, and strictly following the national curriculum. As academic performance improved, parents regained confidence and enrollment continued to rise,’ he said.
The school has also strengthened its reputation beyond academics. This year, Kabale Secondary School emerged as the overall sports champion in Kabale District after both the boys’ and girls’ teams won major competitions. Infrastructure has equally improved.
The school has constructed a perimeter wall, renovated classroom blocks, established a second computer laboratory and expanded library facilities to cater separately for Ordinary and Advanced Level students.
These developments have largely been supported through government capitation grants and an additional Shs100 million contribution from government.
Despite the achievements, Mwesigye said the rapid increase in student numbers has created new challenges. The school faces inadequate classroom space and insufficient facilities to accommodate the growing enrolment. He also noted that staffing remains a concern.
Although the school has 61 teachers, only about 35 are employed and paid by government, leaving the school to meet the salaries of the remaining staff using its limited resources.
‘The increasing enrollment is a positive sign, but it has also stretched our facilities. We need more classrooms and additional government-funded teachers to maintain the quality of education,’ Mwesigye said.
Speaking on the progress of traditional government schools in the district, Grace Munyambabazi, Kabale Municipality Principal Education Officer, said government has made significant efforts to revive long-established institutions that had experienced declining enrolment and performance.
He cited Kigezi College Butobere, Kigezi High School and Kabale Secondary School among the schools that have benefited from government interventions aimed at restoring their competitiveness.
‘The government has done its best to support these traditional schools. Although more investment is still needed, I am optimistic that continued support will further improve the quality of education across the Kigezi region,’ he said.
Education stakeholders believe the revival of Kabale Secondary School demonstrates how effective leadership, improved discipline, community confidence and sustained government investment can restore public schools to excellence.