Pupil enrollment has dropped in primary schools in Gulu city mainly due to government efforts to establish schools in rural communities.
The government policy directs that every administrative parish across the country should have at least one functional public primary school and one government funded secondary school in every sub county or county.
This is aimed at drastically reducing the walking distance for young learners, thereby boosting enrollment and retention rates.
Statistics from the Gulu City Education Department show that there were 32,000 learners in primary schools in the city as of 2025.
The enrollment however dropped to 27, 300 pupils by first term of this year.
Richard Irwenyo, the Gulu City Education Officer attributes the decline in enrolment to the migration of some population to villages during the corona virus pandemic and never returned.
He adds that some people now prefer to live in villages where they have moved together with their children considering that rural schools have improved in standards.
Justine Muboka
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