LIRA CITY — The school hunger crisis in Lira is increasingly disrupting education, with hundreds of pupils reportedly missing classes or dropping out of school because they lack access to food. Education officials warn that hunger is becoming a major obstacle to learning in several government schools across the city.
Teachers and local education officials say many children in government primary schools are attending lessons on empty stomachs. As the school hunger crisis in Lira worsens, educators report declining concentration levels, poor attendance and reduced classroom performance among learners.
In several Universal Primary Education (UPE) schools across the Lango sub-region, pupils reportedly leave before afternoon lessons or fail to return after lunch breaks because they cannot endure long hours without meals. School administrators say the situation has become increasingly common in recent months.
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School administrators say the challenge is increasingly becoming one of the biggest barriers to effective learning, especially among children from low-income families struggling with rising economic hardship.
“We are seeing learners lose focus in class because they are hungry. Some become weak and restless by midday, while others simply walk away from school in search of food,” said a teacher from one of the affected schools in Lira.
Education leaders note that while enrolment in many government schools remains high, daily attendance continues to decline as families fail to provide lunch for children.
Parents in several communities reportedly cannot afford packed meals due to widespread poverty and unstable household incomes, leaving schools with limited options to support affected learners.
Education officials warn that the continued absence of school feeding programmes could reverse gains made under Uganda’s Universal Primary Education (UPE) policy. They note that the school hunger crisis in Lira mirrors challenges facing several communities in northern Uganda that are still recovering from years of conflict and economic hardship.
Local authorities and education advocates are now calling for urgent government intervention to establish sustainable feeding programmes in public schools, arguing that hunger is silently driving children away from education.
They say schools that have managed to organise meals through community support or partnerships continue to record better attendance and improved learner participation compared to those without feeding arrangements.
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The worsening crisis has reignited debate over the need for a nationwide school meals policy to support vulnerable learners and improve education outcomes across Uganda.
Education experts warn that unless immediate action is taken, the school hunger crisis in Lira could continue to undermine classroom learning, increase dropout rates and widen educational inequality among vulnerable children. They are urging government, development partners and local communities to prioritise sustainable school feeding programmes.
written by @enock katamba
- Enock Katamba is a Ugandan Journalist and Founder of Uncovered UG, an independent digital news platform covering Uganda and international developments. He reports on politics, national affairs, entertainment, sports, business, education and other stories of public interest.
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