Prioritising work and daily routines over children’s education is negatively affecting academic performance, parents have warned, stressing that consistent involvement at home remains critical to learners’ success.
The warning came during celebrations at St Peter’s Naalya as the school honoured candidates who excelled in the 2025 Uganda Certificate of Education examinations released by the Uganda National Examinations Board. Pauline Naomi Akot, a parent at the school, said that these days, many parents have withdrawn from active participation in their children’s learning. She said some parents drop children off at school and never follow up on progress, discipline, or challenges.
Akot spoke after the school awarded top UCE candidates for strong performance. She said results reflect what happens both in class and at home. A sole guardian whose daughter posted strong grades in the 2025 examinations said consistent parent presence mattered. She said teachers played a key role, but her daily follow-up also counted. She cited monitoring progress, communicating with teachers, attending school activities, and offering emotional support.
Another parent, Godfrey Mwanja, said involvement should go beyond paying school fees and attending visitation days. He said constant contact with teachers helped him understand his child’s strengths and weaknesses, set targets, and provide encouragement. Mwanja said education rests on three actors, including the parent, the teacher, and the learner. He added that when one fails, problems emerge. He added that frequent engagement with teachers helped detect problems early and kept learners focused.
John Katongole, the principal St Peters Naalya, also said active parent participation improved learner motivation, attendance, discipline, and academic results. He said some parents remain busy and detached, unaware of what happens in their children’s education. He added that beyond the parents, the new paradigm shift brought by chances in curriculum also requires the community to be involved in learners’ education.
Divine Kirungi, one of the celebrated candidates, said parental follow-up encouraged focus and discipline. She said her mother’s involvement and guidance contributed to her success.
Over time, many parents have reduced their involvement in their children’s education, often focusing on earning money instead. However, research shows that parent participation strongly influences student outcomes. A 2025 study by Emma Lin, How Parental Involvement Affects Students’ Academic Motivation and Achievement, found a clear link between parental engagement and student motivation and performance. Lin noted that higher involvement was associated with higher academic motivation and better results across students of different ages, locations, genders, and backgrounds.
Similarly, Victoria Tamale Kaggwa and Denis Sekiwu, in their 2019 article Parent Involvement in Child Education as a Correlate of Academic Performance: Analyzing Denominational Secondary Schools in Uganda, found that academic performance varied with parent engagement. They noted that schools with high parental involvement, such as Catholic and Anglican, recorded stronger results, while lower involvement in some Muslim schools corresponded with weaker outcomes.
The study also noted that parents tend to engage more at home than at school. Meanwhile, SPENA celebrated the achievements of top-performing students, awarding scholarships and cash prizes. The best student received a full scholarship and Shs2.5 million, while the second received a full scholarship and Shs1 million.
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