Washington D.C., June 17, 2023 - The Global Partnership for Education condemns in the strongest possible terms the violent attack perpetrated last night on Lhubiriha Secondary School in Mpondwe in western Uganda, reportedly killing at least 40 people including children.
“Such acts perpetrated against education facilities are completely unacceptable. Children and teachers are not and must never be targets,” said GPE CEO Laura Frigenti. “My deepest sympathies go out to the victims and those affected by this horrific incident, and to the families of those who were killed.”
Violence in and around schools adds yet another obstacle to children’s education in Uganda. The sector faces multiple challenges including a high level of teacher and student absenteeism, weak school level management structures, insufficient learning materials, and large class sizes.
GPE has worked with the government and local education partners in Uganda since 2011 to improve the quality of education in the country and ensure more children complete basic schooling. Since 2013, Uganda has received over US$116,000,000 in GPE grants.
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About the Global Partnership for Education
GPE is a shared commitment to ending the world’s learning crisis. We mobilize partners and funds to support nearly 90 lower-income countries to transform their education systems so that every girl and boy can get the quality education they need to unlock their full potential and contribute to building a better world.
Media contact:
Tamara Kummer, GPE Head of Communications, @email, + 33 7 82 26 07 18