Primary six pupils of Nyanza 1 Primary School in Kakoli sub-county, Budaka district have rejected automatic promotion to Primary seven because they did not complete the syllabus.

Last month, the Ministry of Education said that all learners will automatically be promoted to the next class when schools re-open.

However, at Nyanza 1 Primary School, the P6 learners said they can’t accept moving to the next class yet they did not study in the previous years.

Alice Toono, the Deputy Headteacher says that the school management has been convincing the learners to accept to be promoted to P.7 but they have opposed the directive.

Charles Ntebo, the Headmaster said during the lockdown when the ministry announced that learners will be automatically promoted, the school started sensitizing the communities through radio, but it seems parents are against automatic promotion.

Celimo Constantino and Nkowe Moses, both parents said that it makes no sense to promote the pupils to P7 when they did not study P.6. He says that the school should allow the learners to remain in P.6 as they prepare for P7.

Richard Mugoya, the district councilor of Kakoli sub-county advised the school to conduct an assessment of the learners before they are promoted to the next class.

Cecilia Baluka, a P.6 pupil said that she decided to remain in P6 because she felt she was not prepared to join P7.