By KT Reporter
When the 2025 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) results were released on Friday afternoon, one name stood out across Madi Okollo District in the West Nile sub-region.
That name is Abiyo Maxwell, a 14-year-old orphan from Ayuu Primary School in Anyiribu Sub-County, who defied the odds to become the only pupil in the district to attain Division One.
Abiyo scored an aggregate of 12, obtaining a distinction in Mathematics, credit three in Science, credit four in English and credit four in Social Studies.
Out of 1,791 candidates who sat for last year’s PLE in Madi Okollo, Abiyo’s result made him the best-performing learner in the entire district, at a time when education stakeholders are expressing concern over declining performance.
Abiyo’s journey has been anything but easy. He lost his father at a young age and has since been raised by his elderly grandfather. His mother later remarried, leaving him without stable parental support.
Every morning, Abiyo walked two kilometres from his home to Ayuu Primary School, a government-aided rural school grappling with limited learning materials and an acute shortage of teachers.
Despite these challenges, Abiyo remained focused. Speaking to Uganda Radio Network, he attributes his success to constant revision, discipline, and regular attendance. He also credits his teachers for continuously pushing him to work harder in pursuit of a first grade.
The Head Teacher of Ayuu Primary School, Betty Acan, says Abiyo’s achievement is a product of persistence, strong teacher support, and his personal determination.
She explains that Abiyo had previously sat PLE and obtained Division Two, but failed to proceed to secondary school after his family was unable to raise school fees.
After reassessing his academic potential, the school advised Abiyo to repeat Primary Seven. The decision paid off, as he consistently posted first grades in both district and regional mock examinations.
Acan further reveals that teachers at Ayuu Primary School went the extra mile despite last year’s national teachers’ industrial action over salary disputes, which disrupted learning in many parts of the country.
With only eight teachers handling the entire school, the staff intensified revision programmes to ensure candidates were adequately prepared.
Abiyo’s English teacher, Scovia Ndaru, describes him as a disciplined and committed learner who rarely misses lessons. She says teachers would become concerned whenever Abiyo was absent and often followed him up from home to ensure he returned to class.
District education statistics paint a grim picture overall. Of the candidates who sat the examinations, 305 obtained Division Two, 645 scored Division Three, 274 attained Division Four, while 506 failed with Division U.
Sixty candidates did not sit the examinations. Against this backdrop, Abiyo Maxwell’s success stands as a rare beacon of hope—and a reminder of what determination, teacher commitment, and opportunity can achieve, even in the most challenging circumstances.
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