Connect with us

Education

Education and Covid-19 Symposium: Govt. Pledges Support to Schools

Published

on

The Ministry of Education and Sports is to offer some interventions to schools ahead of their re-opening in 2022.  The Minister, in her speech delivered by the Chairperson of the Makerere University Council, Mrs. Lorna Magara, said the ministry would repair schools, review the school curriculum for recovery of lost time, orientation of teachers and students, promotion of safe and healthy learning environments through psychosocial support. The government also pledged to provide additional infrastructure to cater for the increased enrolment at primary one.

The Minister, Hon. Janet Museveni, was speaking during the opening of the symposium on Education and Covid-19.  The symposium was organized by the College of Education and External Studies (CEES) in partnership the Ministry of Education and other development partners.

The symposium is the first of its kind to bring together major stakeholders in the education sector to deliberate on the impact of Covid-19 on education and come up with strategies that would take us through the pandemic and beyond. The outcomes of the discussions will result in the formation of a National Participatory Consolidated Plan of Action on Covid-19 and Education.

The First Lady in her speech noted that while people were anxious about the prolonged closure of schools, the risk associated with the hurried reopening especially of pre-primary, primary and secondary schools outweigh the benefits. Mr. Timothy Ssejjoba from the Ministry of Education said the Ministry was training school head teachers to prepare them for opening and ensuring they have enough information on Covid-19 and how to help the students. Mr. Ssejjoba said the Ministry may not completely do away with Distance and e-learning among schools until we have completely done away with the pandemic. This he said is to ensure safety of students.

Makerere University on its part has heavily invested in e-learning infrastructure. Ms. Magara said “the university council has strongly supported initiatives for building the adaptability of university systems and processes to the challenges presented by Covid-19.”

The university recently successfully held it first online examinations. It is envisioned that this mode of examination will continue amidst the pandemic. The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, thanked the government for its continued support towards e-learning infrastructure especially though funding to the Research and Innovations fund of the university.

Participants called on the government to invest in teacher education because the quality of education depends on the quality of its teachers. “No country can develop when its education system is limping,” Dr. Mathias Mulumba, the Dean of the School of Education said. “The quality of a country’s education system determines the pace at which other sectors such as health, technology and others develop.”

The occasion was also graced by the Ambassador of Ireland, H.E Kevin Colgan. He thanked Makerere University and the Ministry of Education for organizing the symposium which gives people an opportunity to brainstorm on how to better the education system, address psychosocial impacts of the pandemic and school dropouts. He noted that there was an increase in teenage pregnancies and cautioned that we all must do more to realise the universal right to education. 

The Principal of CEES, represented by Dr. Okot Alex, called on staff of Makerere University to play a pivotal role in training the human resource of the country. “Covid-19 has forced us to prepare for the unknown. We want to prepare our educators to be ready to manage the unknown,” Dr. Okot said. The principal called for collaboration, saying we don’t need to reinvent the wheel, sometimes we just have to collaborate and find solutions to community challenges.

The principal informed participants that CEES had established a good distance and e-learning platform to spearhead alternative modes of teaching. The Institute of Distance and e-learning has developed MUELE, on online teaching and learning platform that the university fully embraced during the pandemic.

He appreciated the management of the university for the support given to the college and the Ministry of Education and Sports for the support given during the planning and execution of the symposium.

The symposium was supported by the Embassy of Ireland, UNICEF, Uwezo, Action, CRANE and Link Partners among others.

Betty Kyakuwa is the Principal Communication Officer CEES

Education

Project to boost entrepreneurship in UPE schools launched

Published

on

L-R: Dr. Christopher Mugimu the Principal Investigator of the Project, Ms. Gloria Naggayi from RIF and Dr. Hajjat Kuluthum Nabunya from KCCA at the Project Launch. Entrepreneurial Initiative for Universal Primary Education Schools Program Project Launch, March 2024, Yusuf Lule Central Teaching Facility, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

A new project that is hoped to empower Universal Primary Education schools to manage scarcity and be more resourceful has been unveiled at Makerere University.

The Entrepreneurial Initiative for Universal Primary Education Schools Program is intended to provide training to the administrators of UPE schools on how they can use their limited resources to provide quality education to learners.

The project is funded through the Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund (Mak-RIF).

Dr. Christopher Mugimu, a professor of Curriculum and Instruction at Makerere’s College of Education and External Studies, who is also the project lead said they will be helping UPE school managers develop enterprising skills which they can use to optimise the school resources and provide better quality education.

Some of the UPE head teachers who attended the launch of the project. Entrepreneurial Initiative for Universal Primary Education Schools Program Project Launch, March 2024, Yusuf Lule Central Teaching Facility, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Some of the UPE head teachers who attended the launch of the project.

“We realised the government has been supporting UPE by expanding infrastructure, training teachers, and curriculum reforms but still a lot remains to be done in terms of ensuring a good learning environment,” he said.

“We believe that we can get better results from UPE schools if the managers can be helped to become more enterprising by optimizing the little resources they have.”

Dr. Badru Musisi from the Department of Foundation and Curriculum Studies at the School of Education said over the past 27 years, despite the government investing trillions of shillings to boost learning in primary schools, not much has changed in terms of school management.

A group photo of the participants. Entrepreneurial Initiative for Universal Primary Education Schools Program Project Launch, March 2024, Yusuf Lule Central Teaching Facility, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
A group photo of the participants.

“Because of that, the same challenges have persisted; schools don’t have sufficient space, they have no water and hygiene services, they don’t have food and the environment is not enabling for pupils with disabilities,” he said.

Dr. Nicholas Itaaga who represented Prof Anthony Mugagga, the Principal of the College of Education and External Studies said a lot needs to be done to combat the high dropout rates in primary schools.

Dr. Itaaga said when he was doing his PhD thesis on UPE in Eastern Uganda, he established that only about 37% of the pupils joining P1 were making it to P7, while the majority of the pupils were dropping out to join their parents in farms.

Dr. Nicholas Itaaga, who represented the Principal of CEES. Entrepreneurial Initiative for Universal Primary Education Schools Program Project Launch, March 2024, Yusuf Lule Central Teaching Facility, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Dr. Nicholas Itaaga, who represented the Principal of CEES.

Dr. Hajjat Kuluthum Nabunya, the Officer Education Services KCCA also emphasized this trend, noting that the retention rate of UPE schools in Kampala, like those in rural schools is still alarmingly low.

“Children that are supposed to be in primary schools are the ones you see vending goods on the streets and doing housework at home. Therefore, the government needs initiatives like this,” she said.

On her part, Gloria Naggayi, the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at Makerere University Research and Innovation Fund commended the project initiators and tasked them to follow through and ensure that they have positive results by the end of the year.

The number of primary school pupils in the country has grown from 2.1 million in 1997 to over 9 million today.

Continue Reading

Education

CEES Researchers seek to evaluate impact of salary disparities on Education

Published

on

Principal CEES-Prof. Anthony Muwagga Mugagga (6th R), Dean SoDLL-Dr. Harriet Nabushawo (5th L), Head DACE-Dr. Stella Achen (3rd R), PI-Ms. Nuluyati Nalwadda (5th R) and other staff at the project launch. College of Education and External Studies (CEES), Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

During the teachers’ retreat at the State House in 2017, President Museveni promised to increase the salaries of Science teachers. However, his directive was only implemented in 2021. The 300 percent pay rise resulted in a graduate and Grade V teachers’ pay increase to Shs4 million and Shs3m, up from Shs1.1million and Shs796,000 respectively. This increase, however, meant that their counterparts, the Arts Teachers, did not receive a pay increase. The teachers, under their umbrella organization, Uganda National Teachers Union (UNATU), petitioned the president to increase the salaries of the Arts teachers, arguing that the disparities would affect motivation of other teachers, but government is yet to act on this. This policy decision has sparked discussions surrounding its implications for educational equity, teacher morale, and the broader dynamics within secondary schools.

It is against this background that researchers from the College of Education and External Studies (CEES) have set out to study the impact of differential salary increments on secondary school teachers in Uganda.

The Principal Investigator (PI), Ms. Nuluyati Nalwadda. Mak-RIF-funded study of the impact of differential salary increments on secondary school teachers in Uganda, project launch, March 2024, AVU Conference Room, College of Education and External Studies (CEES), Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
The Principal Investigator (PI), Ms. Nuluyati Nalwadda.

Speaking during the launch of the project study, the Principal Investigator, Ms. Nuluyati Nalwadda said the study seeks to analyze the impact of differential salary increments on secondary school teachers, examine the psychological effects, attitudes, and perceptions of science and arts teachers, understand the potential implications for teacher motivation, job satisfaction, and service delivery, and also provide valuable insights to inform policy discussions and interventions. Ultimately, this research aims to improve the overall quality of education for students by addressing these critical factors in teacher effectiveness and well-being.

The Principal of CEES, Prof. Anthony Muwagga Mugagga, congratulated the research team upon winning the MAK RIF grant and for their dedication and commitment to enhancing education outcomes. He urged them to ensure they publish their findings, make new research connections, apply for new grants, and engage the Ministry of Education and Sports. He advised the research team to study the different categories of schools, gender and the effect of these disparities on families. He asked them to be thorough in their research and consider all possible implications. He informed staff that the college had dedicated some resources to help advance research in the different schools. He emphasized the importance of this research in shaping future educational policies.

Prof. Anthony Muwagga Mugagga (Right) and Ms. Harriet Adong (Left). Mak-RIF-funded study of the impact of differential salary increments on secondary school teachers in Uganda, project launch, March 2024, AVU Conference Room, College of Education and External Studies (CEES), Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

Ms. Harriet Adong, who represented the Chair of the Grants Management Committee, Prof. Fred Masagazi, urged the staff to use the grant resources for the purpose the funds were meant for. She encouraged them to continue applying for grants, saying the sixth call for RIF would soon come out.

She also called for timely accountability of funds and adherence to the grant guidelines. She stressed the importance of documenting the research processes and sharing findings with the public to ensure transparency and foster collaboration within the scientific community.

The research team. Mak-RIF-funded study of the impact of differential salary increments on secondary school teachers in Uganda, project launch, March 2024, AVU Conference Room, College of Education and External Studies (CEES), Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
The research team.

The Deputy Principal, Prof. Ronald Bisaso, also congratulated the team and thanked RIF for the generous support in funding their research project. He also emphasized the importance of continuing to strive for excellence in research and innovation. Citing the 49 RIF grants that college staff have won over the last 5 years, Prof. Bisaso called for more collaboration among staff. “We hope the results of the study will inform government policy, grow larger research teams, and contribute to the development of the country,” he said. The project launch was also attended by the Dean School of Distance and Life Long Learning, Dr. Harriet Nabushawo and the Head of the Department of Adult and Community Education, Dr. Stella Achen who congratulated the research team upon winning the grant.

The Research Team

  1. Ms. Nuluyati Nalwadda
  2. Mr. Joseph Watuleke
  3. Mr. Simon Peter Mabongo
  4. Mr. Lawrence Karyowa

Continue Reading

Education

CEES Newsletter March 2024

Published

on

Makerere University Centre for Lifelong Learning and Makerere University Jinja Campus graduation of Diplomas and Certificates from the Uganda Business and Technical Examinations Board (UBTEB), 3rd February 2024, Yusuf Lule Central Teaching Facility Auditorium, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

Over 600 awarded UBTEB certificates

Over 600 students of Makerere University Centre for Lifelong Learning and Makerere University Jinja Campus have graduated with diplomas and Certificates from the Uganda Business and Technical Examinations Board (UBTEB).

“This academic achievement has launched your real beginning in higher education academics and career growth. For those who had challenges with Advanced Level as a prerequisite for University or academic progression, the diploma comes handy and will enable you to now register for your desired degree course,” Prof. Mugagga said.

View the Full Newsletter

Continue Reading

Trending