The Education System in Uganda From Link to Partnership

Transcription

1 The Education System in Uganda From Link to Partnership Mixed notes from one day seminar Thursday 10th October, 2013 Nuel Tourist Hotel, Entebbe, Uganda

2 From link to partnership Seminar In order to give the swedish participants in From Link to Partnership a wider knowledge and understanding about the education system in Uganda, a one day seminar was held on Thursday 10th October, 2013, Neul TH in Entebbe, Uganda. Enclosed you will find mixed notes from the seminar. School system in Uganda The swedish teachers and head-teachers received a presentation about the Ugandan school system by Mr Fagil Mandy. The seminar did also include presentions from three different schools in Uganda who are already involved in co-operation and partnerships with swedish schools. The purpose of the meeting with the Ugandan schools was to improve the understanding behind a successful partnership and also how to turn a link into a real partnership. Education levels in Uganda: 1. Pre-primary - 3 years 2. Primary school - 7 years 3. Secondary - 4 year. High drop-out rate. Some go to vocational schools instead. Very few students go to vocational institutions; therefore the Ministry is doing a campaign for this now. 4. A level 2 years. Most students want to go to University. Some have school fees others not students in the Universities and an additional students at Vocational training institutes. Samuel Nsereko, teacher at Bussi Parents School, is giving instructions in class.

3 British Colonization The Africans were trained to serve the British. We were brainwashed and copied the British systems and thinking. Taking out raw materials. We are copycats! After independence we never had never had a government lasting more than 5 years until Didn t have an own constitution until Every district now has a Women representative, youth, disabled. Means a beginning of a democracy, from Speaking of the importance of Physical Education in Schools in Uganda, only few schools have it. Some schools start at 4 o clock in the morning while the official time is 8 o clock. ¾ of the time are spent on exams. Then you don t have time for subjects that are not examined like PE. If the different stakeholders (schools, parents, governmental bodies) are not looking in the same direction (have the same goal) the child will suffer. Lunch. There is now law saying that you must serve lunch so it is very different how it is done. Teaching training institutions. Now special serious program. You need to have program that transforms a student to a good teacher. High rate of teacher absent in the schools. 60% of population is young in Uganda (in Sweden the opposite, 70% is old) Entebbe Secondary school (Yunia Lwanga and John Ssebulimu) The twinning is a result of the Global Journey Programme. When Yunia was invited to Sweden by the Global School in 2005 to attend a seminar for leaders of the GJP she was also taken to Kalmar to meet with Bo Hellström, a teacher at Lars Kaggs gymnasium. They then started the twinning from there. Most schools in Uganda are theoretical Agreed upon common subjects to twin around - sustainable development, global warming Twinning between Kalmar, Port Shepstone and Entebbe. Family stay with teachers (Yunia ate shrimps and got sick ate vegetarian food after that) Swedish teachers interviewed Ugandan families on how they live, survive. Sustainable development (cutting down trees, what can we do, plant trees ) income generating activities (plant nursery, necklaces, beads, ) that is sustainable teach the children this at a local level so that they don t need to look for jobs elsewhere. Learn how to use internet, Wikipedia etc. Continuously evaluate if we have chosen good subjects/themes for our cooperation, connection to MDGs How can we sustain our cooperation? Drama, time travels. Challenges: involving more students, bringing onboard more boardmembers, when to meet due to different semesters Focus on learning together, poverty eradication, sustainable development. Benefits: o students stay with families, o trust is built, o exposure to a global culture, o get used to talk to people from other cultures, bridging, o new methods, pedagogic o sharing of experiences

4 St Josephs vocational institute Kisubi in partnership with Anders Ljungsteds Gymnasium, Linköping Godrey Bukenya and Margret Mulumba and 2 students This cooperation is a result of the Global Journey Programme 2011 when Anders Ljungstedts Gymnasium visited St Josephs. Students: Compared which programs were given in the different countries. Larger variety in Sweden. More practice teaching in Sweden, more theory here. The teacher was closer to the students in Sweden, more interaction, asking questions back Why is that?, students are part of planning so they become part of the teaching. Group work is encouraged in Sweden. Department for assisting the weak students in Uganda this is done by peers or teachers. Third eye, checking if a student has a problem. If you hadn t have an exchange I want to encourage you That is the best!. It is not so easy to travel with big group of student but it works. We had 20 students with us and 4 teachers, each teacher had responsibility for 4 students. What did the Swedes learned from coming here? The Swedish people were shy when they came, when we came to Sweden they were not shy anymore. They learn how to talk and share, be more open. We learned about time, walk fast, hurry to the bus. Take notes. They wished they had the theory that we have and we wished we had the practice they had. Chadwick Namate Primary School partnership with Vita skolan I Skelefteå Fred Kisekka and Beatrice Naigaga) Started 2006 with a global journey. Carina invited Olive to come to her school in 2007 and then the exchange started. In 2008 Fred and Betty went to Sweden. Collaborated in the school but no home stay. We sat down and agreed on the topics to cooperate about. The students have written about their future dreams, culture, sports etc. compared different life styles. In one time we will also live like you do in Sweden! In Sweden the children many times stay longer time in school than at home. Environmental day cooperation between 2 schools in Skellefteå and Chadwick - agreed on a program for that day. Time management, got finance for building a house.

5 Conclusion facilitated by Fagil Mandy There are so many things Uganda can learn from Sweden and Sweden can learn from Uganda We have more in common than what differs between us We are very inspired from the schools that already have partnership with Sweden and we are eager to try We are responsible to make the world a better place There are two books Europe learns from Africa and Africa learns from Europa. Both parts are looking for something new to learn. How do we make our countries a better place through the education system? Learning is the key word. Participation is another one. The Swedish side was more quite today because they are not yet in the program so they are learning from the Ugandan experience Learning about the different school systems. Why is it like this? We can send out our youth and they can be part of developing our countries by learning new skills. Knowledge and new skills is what we can get and what we need for the future of our countries and the world to be a better world. Fagil Mandy in discussion with teachers from Sweden and Uganda at a workshop during the seminar. Fagil Mandy Chairperson of the Uganda National Education Board (UNEB). Has worked as a Director and Resident District Commissioner in the Office of the President and a Commissioner of Inspectorate at the Ministry of Education and Sports, teacher, Assistant Education officer in Kampala, headmaster for primary schools, taught at University, head of inspector in the whole country, as well as in a bank, general manager in a hotel, for the government (director for economic affairs), Ministry of education. He is now evaluating schools, and is an appreciated speaker and author on how to educate children.