Parents have been urged to feed their children while at school if better grades are to be attained.

State Minister in charge primary education, Rosemary Seninde says that a hungry pupil cannot learn properly.

She made the remarks while addressing parents, teachers and local leaders at Naluko primary school in Nabitende sub county Iganga District.

Seninde, says that for several years, Eastern region has been performing poorly in Primary Leaving Examinations PLE. In farther analysis, the poor performance of the region is contributed to by a number of schools in Busoga sub region and Iganga district in particular. The schools include Naluko and Wagodo.

Since last, the ministry of Education initiated a special program to support these schools improve their performance. Ths support included providing teachers with refresher training, senstization of parents and provision of scholarstic materials among others.

The minister, had also to follow up the schools to find out exactly how they were performing in preparation for the forth-coming PLE in November. She directed police to arrest parents who allow their children to work in sugarcane plantations instead of going toi school. This was after she was informed that absenteesm of pupils was rampant in schools due to the many sugarcane plantations where children go to cut sugarcane and earn 1000/= a day.

The minister also challenged teachers to follow the curriculum and also mark pupils' books. Parents pledged befor the minister toi start providing the necessary requirements the enable their children stay in school.