In a bid to improve the quality of education in Mukono Municipality, the Mukono Teachers Association has confirmed a refresher training for teachers this month, aimed at enhancing their performance at the primary level.
The training, scheduled for February 21, is a direct response to concerns raised about some schools’ disappointing performance in the recent Primary Leaving Examination (PLE).
At the municipality 7, 476 learners registered to sit PLE exams, 2, 390 students passed in division one, 3, 964 (Division 2), 630 (Division 3), 263 (Division 4), 162 were ungraded and 67 (x).
According to Suzan Wamala, Chairperson of the Municipal Teachers Association and also Mukono Diocese Primary Headteacher’s Association, the initiative will focus on improving teachers’ understanding of the curriculum, effective teaching approaches, and how to better engage learners.
“Some of the teachers were not sure what kind of curriculum they were following. So, by the time they went on, their responses were refuted because of the curriculum, others because of the question and answering techniques, which they never employed to their learners. So, we are going to have training of teachers of P7 in the whole municipality,” Wamala, also, the headmistress of Mukono Boarding P/S says.
In the same training, emphasis will be put on co-curricular activities beyond athletics and sports to board games, music, dance and drama, girl guides and scouting.
“We are now encouraging head teachers at their learning institutions to improvise and start debates so as to foster communication skills, developing them in learners through public speaking, through debates, through quiz,” she adds.
After the training Wamala says they will request school inspectors to always ask teachers to present their program of public speaking and debate.
“I want to assure you that this is not a new innovation in head teachers, this is part of co-curricular. Because according to our demands in the answering techniques, the children are failing because of their communication skills. They cannot recall, they cannot understand, they cannot apply, simply because they cannot express themselves,” Wamala noted.
Among other issues to tackle is code switching by teachers during class time. According to the survey conducted by Mukono teachers’ association regarding student performance, it was found out that teachers do code-switching.
They use two languages as they are doing what? Passing on the content. And that is why the children are failing, because now they cannot interpret. And the secretary of UNEB dwelt on it, children could not comprehend, children could not interpret, children could not apply.
The survey indicates that teachers alternate between mainly Luganda and English and at the end of the day children learn nothing.
Other key issues will rotate around schemes of work and lesson plans. “Every class must have its vision, the objectives and the aims. Every class must have a target. Every class must have a target.” Wamala says.
To boost academic excellence, the association also intends to start setting a uniform exam all schools under the association start this term rather than waiting for only mock exams.
Regarding the new term, Wamala advises headteachers to give priority to the well-being and safety of learners by thoroughly checking pupils before they join the school community.
Boarding schools, please use your health workers. We normally call them the school nurses. Let them check pupils before they are enrolled in the school. Let us have programs of awareness. Let us have messages in our schools talking about prevention of Mpox, Ebola, Cholera and Covid-19 among others. So please let us revise the safety measures in our schools.
The Resident District Commissioner for Mukono, Fatumah Ndisaba Nabitaka has commended the teacher’s refresher initiative, saying the remaining part is now parents taking back their children to schools.
“So, it is apparent that if you don’t take your children on time, you are doing a disservice to your family, to your country and to your children. I know money is scarce nowadays, but we should make it a habit of going to schools and negotiate with the headteachers and the directors to allow us to pay money in installments,” Ndisaba notes.
She also asked headteachers and directors to be lenient. And for government schools, avoid increasing fees without the knowledge of parents.
“Let’s try to work within our means, let’s try to speak to the government so that they can increase the money, but don’t ask for other money that is not negotiated by the committees of the PTA and the school management,” she explains, adding that increment is a process and has to go through the PTA meeting, copy the minutes to the DEO, the commissioners of education in the ministry, then to the PS and the minister, who will allow the increment of the funds in our government schools.
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