Written By | BK Mugizi
Parental Care's victory followed a closely contested battle with Elgon View Primary School from Tororo District.
Search
BUSHENYI
Parental Care Nursery and Primary School in Bushenyi District has been crowned the national champion in the junior category of the 2026 Enjuba Spelling Bee competition, beating 59 other schools from across the country.
The competition featured two categories: junior, for children aged four to 13, and senior, for participants aged 13 to 18.
Namilyango Junior Boys School from Mukono District won the senior category.
The victory follows Parental Care's success in the Ankole regional spelling bee competition, held at St. Mukasa Preparatory School in Sheema Municipality in July this year, marking another milestone for the school.
Close contest
Parental Care's victory followed a closely contested battle with Elgon View Primary School from Tororo District. However, Lisa Pearl Kebirungi emerged as the overall winner, securing the national crown for the Bushenyi-based school.
The competition, held at Kampala Serena Hotel, attracted 263 participants from 60 schools across the country. It was the 14th edition of the Enjuba Spelling Bee.
Having participated in 10 previous editions, Parental Care Nursery and Primary School drew on its experience to overcome its competitors and emerge victorious.
The competition followed a knockout format in which a learner was eliminated immediately after failing to spell a given word correctly.
Participants went through three rounds involving spelling words, filling in missing letters, and identifying and naming objects. Learners who successfully completed the rounds advanced to the next stage.
Ministry applauds participants
Hajjat Dr Safina Mutumba, the Assistant Commissioner in charge of Early Childhood and Pre-Primary Education at the Ministry of Education and Sports, represented the Permanent Secretary, Dr Kedrace Turyagyenda, as the chief guest. In her remarks, Mutumba commended the participants for having the courage to compete on a national stage.
She encouraged learners not to consider themselves failures when they failed to spell certain words, noting that the competition provided an opportunity to learn and develop their skills.
Mutumba also expressed surprise at the ability of the young participants to spell words that even adults might struggle with.
She urged teachers and parents to encourage children not only to spell words correctly but also to understand their meanings.
Mutumba challenged schools to embrace digital thinking and promote early literacy among learners.
“Every child is a potential reader, writer and thinker. Our role is to provide a friendly environment where every potential is realised,” she said.
Winners to represent Uganda in Algeria
The winners in the respective categories are expected to travel to Algeria next year to compete against other spellers from across Africa.
Parental Care headteacher Desmond Tayebwa said the competitions build learners' confidence and improve their performance in examinations.
At the end of the competition, all participants received certificates, while the winners received various prizes, including cheques and laptops.
