A Friends of Sabina Celebration
Celebrating Our Graduates and
School Ranking
We are excited to share that all 27 of our Primary 7 (P7) graduates scored within the top two levels of the primary leaving exam (PLE)! The students scored so well on their exams that Sabina now ranks 13th out of the 400 schools in the district! Now that is something to celebrate!
The success of our P7 students is a direct result of our entire Friends of Sabina community. We first must thank Sabina’s administration and staff who worked tirelessly to ensure the students didn’t fall behind due to COVID disruptions throughout the school year. We would also like to thank our donors who continue to support our teachers, students, teacher training, and COVID relief programs. Your donations made it possible to:
Enable teachers to remain focused on the education of their studentsContinue our teacher training and development programs so that our students can receive an exemplary education Provide holistic support to the students and their families during the most trying times of the pandemic
The Ugandan School System: A Brief Overview
Our U.S. sponsors often receive letters from their sponsored children providing updates on their school performance. It can be hard to put these conversations in perspective because the Ugandan school system differs from the United States in a myriad of ways. Even as we write this newsletter, we realize many of you may not know the significance of passing the PLEs. So, allow us to break down the Ugandan education system for you.
Nursery School/ Kindergarten – Three Years
Nursey school in Uganda is from ages three to six and is similar to preschool in the United States.
Primary School – Seven Years
Primary school starts at age six with P1 and goes up to P7. The age for a P7 student can range since students are often pulled out of school to help earn money for their families. At the end of P7, students must sit for and pass the PLE, a requirement to attend secondary school. Furthermore, a student's grade on the exam helps determine what secondary school they will attend and provides admission into certain educational programs, tracks, and courses.
Secondary School – Six Years
Secondary school is broken up into two stages: O-Levels and A-Levels. O-Levels consist of the first four years and a student must pass the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) examination to continue on to their final two years. These two years are called A-levels and a student must sit for the Advanced Uganda Certificate of Education (AUCE) upon its completion. Students that pass this examination can continue to university.
Only 1 in 10 children attends nursery school and 24% of primary school students complete secondary schooling. At Sabina, it is our mission to change those statistics! We are here to provide the structural and fundamental support needed so that each student can earn their high school and university certificates.
The Fight Against COVID-19
FOS, as well as the staff and administration of Sabina, are doing their part to help fight COVID-19. In August, our Sabina staff learned more about the COVID-19 vaccine from a local immunologist and all staff members received their first dose.
Summer Food Basket Distribution
With COVID cases on the rise, our sponsored students’ families continue to struggle financially; thus, feeding their families is a challenge. Friends of Sabina put together care packages with at least a month's worth of food, seeds, fertilizer and a hoe to help them in their respective gardens. The families were so appreciative of the support.
