News and Updates

Our Mission

We strive to promote the value of learning and setting higher expectations of self, and to transition students to productive and responsible leaders in their communities.

COVID-19 Update

On March 18, 2020, in a bid to prevent the potential spread of COVID-19 to learners and staff in schools and institutions in Uganda, the President of Uganda directed all education institutions across the country to close and send all learners home.

For Tara School, that meant closing our school and boarding facilities to our more than 250 students and 20+ teachers and staff. Without the resources available to conduct remote teaching, it also meant that it would be left up to the students and their parents to continue learning the school curriculum on their own at home.

Not only were students sent home with textbooks and assignments, but we were also grateful to have been able to provide some students with modest meal packages to help supplement government-provided basic food essentials. In appreciation of our dedicated teachers and staff, we have continued to pay them 50% of their salaries during the school closure.

Our school remains closed to date, however school administrators are following guidance from the Ministries of Health and Education and taking necessary measures to prepare for safe reopening of the school only for students who are candidates for this year’s Primary Leaving Examinations.

Some of these measures include:

• Appointing an education institution COVID-19 taskforce
• Appointing classroom prefect responsible for managing COVID-19 in each classroom
• Developing regulations on improving hygiene and safety measures for students and staff, including but not limited to:
  
  • Letting up appropriate hand washing stations,
    developing monitoring mechanisms for and enforcing social distancing,
  • ensuring availability of necessary supplies such as soap, hand washing facilities, disinfectants, temperature monitors and face masks.

Student Spotlight

Meet Mpata Perezi Tonny! He is 8 years old and is in Primary Two at Tara School. His favorite subjects are Science and Social Studies and he would like to be a lawyer when he grows up. Tonny is from the town of Jinja, approximately 60km from Tara School in Namutumba. He is grateful for the boarding facilities at Tara so that he does not have to travel the long distance to and from Jinja. Tonny has 4 brothers and 4 sisters.

To sponsor Tonny or other another student like him, please visit our website and Click Donate.

Our School

We have vastly improved our facilities over the years, with the installation of solar panels, addition of electricity, borehole improvements, dormitory expansions and kitchen improvements, to name a few. However, our recreational facilities are in desperate need of repair. Your generous donations will help us improve the playground and recreational facilities for our students.

To make a donation to our school facilities, please visit our website and Click Donate. We appreciate every dollar!

Doing Good & Doing Well

In each issue of our newsletter, we feature 2 short segments: Doing Good and Doing Well. Doing Good will communicate Tara’s community impact. Doing Well will highlight the achievements of our school and our students.

Doing Good

When we erected a new building last year, the original purpose was to house a multi-purpose room for school gatherings, events and staff meetings. The multi-purpose room has turned out to be a valuable meeting place, not only for Tara school, but also for the broader Namutumba community. Due to its large size and having electricity, the room has attracted a number of community gatherings.

Doing Well

In the 2019 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE), our Tara students did us proud once again with a 100% pass rate! Of the 14 students who sat the exam, 9 passed with Division I (highest honors), and 5 passed with Division II honors! All of our scholars are listed below. Our top five performers are in bold.

• Bayita Henery
• Mathias Naikaire Akram
• Guloba Moses
• Namukoma Martha
• Gwaivu Juma
• Namukose Elizabeth
• Kamayo Wilberforce
• Shaineh Mushin
• Kirongero Sefatiya
• Tibagalika Hairat Namambwe
• Muwankia Muhammad
• Wagaluka Zubair
• Nabwire Mathra
• Wanika Yusuf

Congratulations students and teachers! Well Done!