Where Are They Now?
We are often asked what happens to our students after they finish their studies at John Paul Secondary School. JPSS began offering A-level classes with our first S-5 class in 2019 and first S-6 class in 2020. Successful completion of these classes and adequate scoring on the UACE exam allows our graduates to continue their education at University, technical school and other tertiary institutions.
Prior to this, we unfortunately didn’t have the means to stay in touch with our students as they attended A level classes at a different secondary school. But now, once our graduates complete their testing, we know the path they hope to follow. Much depends on their family’s ability to support ongoing education.
Our 2023 S-6 graduates who completed their studies and UACE exam in December 2023 are our most recent group of graduates. The secondary school year runs February through November in Uganda, whereas the Universities begin in August as they do in the U.S., so there is a gap between their completion at JPSS and any future schooling. Our headmaster, Moses Bwayo, has been in touch with the students as they have discerned their next steps. We’re very proud to say that 68% of our 2023 graduates are continuing their studies, either at university or vocational education, compared to 35% Uganda nationwide! We are very proud of their hard work and all mentoring and counseling they’ve received from teachers and administration at JPSS.
Here are some details of the performance of this class:
A total of 33 JPSS S-6 students sat for the UACE Exam in December 2023. Overall 97% of our students (32 of 33) qualified to go on to University – compared to 74% of all S6 students in Uganda. And all of our students have the qualifications to pursue tertiary education.
Of the 32 with passing scores, 22 are continuing their studies, either at university or vocational education. Here’s a summary of the fields they studying:
- Business – 5
- Engineering – 3
- Clinical Medicine – 5
- Agriculture – 2
- Education – 4
- Vocational – 3
The Ugandan government district quota scholarship was meant to help bright but financially disadvantaged students to access university education. A total of 896 students are given scholarships under the district quota, 40 for talented sports persons and slots 64 for students with special needs. Two of our students are attending college with these scholarships.
New this year, Friends of John Paul School is offering a University Scholarship Program to students who are qualified to attend University but unable to fund it themselves. The students enter into a contract to ‘pay forward’ this benefit by providing services to the school and mentoring to other aspiring JPSS students interested in attending University. This year, we are offering four students these scholarships.
You, our donors, have created a future path for all of our students and we and they are so very grateful! We can’t wait to see what they’ll do next! Take a look at what each grad is doing below.
