Twenty government-aided primary schools in Ibanda District have received science kits from the Government of Uganda in a move aimed at improving practical science learning and boosting pupils' performance in science subjects.
The kits, provided through the Ministry of Education and Sports, include electricity experiment sets, measurement tools, magnetism equipment and other practical learning materials to support hands-on teaching in classrooms.
The equipment was handed over to beneficiary schools during a ceremony held in Ibanda Municipality.
Speaking during the handover on Wednesday, Ibanda Municipality Education Officer Johnson Abakunda said the beneficiary schools were selected based on their performance in the 2025 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE).
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"The Ministry of Education and Sports allocated these science kits to twenty government-aided primary schools in Ibanda Municipality. The selection considered the fifteen best-performing schools and the five least-performing schools in the 2025 PLE," Abakunda said.
He explained that the decision was intended not only to reward schools that had performed well but also to support struggling institutions by improving access to practical learning resources.
"While we want to reward excellence, we also want to support schools that are struggling so that they can improve through practical learning," he said.
Abakunda urged head teachers and science teachers to ensure the equipment is properly utilised to promote practical lessons and help pupils develop a better understanding of scientific concepts.
School administrators welcomed the intervention, saying inadequate equipment has for years limited effective teaching of science in primary schools.
One head teacher said many lessons had previously been delivered mainly through theory due to the lack of practical materials.
"For a long time, we have been teaching science largely through theory because we lacked the necessary equipment. These kits will help learners understand scientific concepts better through practical demonstrations, which will ultimately improve their performance," the head teacher said.
The Deputy Mayor of Ibanda Municipality, Fred Manywana, praised the Ministry of Education and Sports for investing in science education, saying practical learning can help nurture pupils' interest in science from an early age.
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"This is a commendable investment in the future of our children. Practical learning makes science more interesting and easier to understand. We appeal to the government to extend this programme so that more schools can benefit from these science kits," Manywana said.
Assistant Resident District Commissioner Guma Godfrey Godwin urged teachers to protect the equipment and ensure it serves its intended purpose.
"These science kits are government property meant to improve the quality of education. Teachers should use them effectively, maintain them properly and ensure that learners benefit through improved performance in science subjects," Guma said.
The Ministry of Education and Sports began the nationwide rollout of primary science kits, commonly referred to as mini-laboratories, in 2021 as part of efforts to strengthen practical learning in Universal Primary Education (UPE) schools.
Education officials say the initiative will improve classroom instruction by enabling pupils to conduct experiments, develop practical scientific skills and gain a deeper understanding of science from an early stage.
