TEACHERS MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Oluka, Serere’s super teacher
ANTHONY Oluka is a teacher of chemistry and biology at Serere Secondary School. His dedication, zeal, and innovation, have enabled him to make a breakthrough in e-learning. <b>Daniel Edyegu</b> tells his story.
ANTHONY Oluka is a teacher of chemistry and biology at Serere Secondary School. His dedication, zeal, and innovation, have enabled him to make a breakthrough in e-learning. Daniel Edyegu tells his story
AT first sight, he does not capture your attention until you discover his personality, and character. Anthony Oluka Eridu, 29, a teacher at Serere Secondary School, could pass for a student, if you found him walking on the school compound.
Oluka teaches chemistry and biology, but also serves as the youth pastor at Osuguro Pentecostal Assemblies of God church.
The Super Teacher, as he is fondly known, is adored by, both teachers and students, for propelling science education through e-learning at Serere in Serere district.
E-learning is a programme of the education ministry that was piloted countrywide in 80 government-aided secondary schools in 2007.
The programme involves the use of computer software called Virtual Lab to teach chemistry, mathematics, biology and physics.
The software, which contains a complete curricular in all the four subjects, including practicals, eases learning, and the teaching of sciences.
In Teso region, e-learning was piloted in Serere, and other secondary schools in Soroti.
When sciences were made compulsory at O’ level in 2007, Oluka, who had barely taught for two years at the school, was chosen, together with seven other science teachers in the school, to undertake training in the e-learning programme.
Oluka beat his colleagues and emerged the best. He proceeded for further training with the Cyber Schools Technology Solutions, a partner service provider with the education ministry, training teachers on how to apply e-learning.
Armed with knowledge, and skills on the new programme, the glaring task at hand for Oluka was how to put it into practise in order to demystify the belief among students that science subjects are difficult.
“The school had no space to house the computer laboratory, and electricity to run the computers. I convinced the administration to turn a block that was being built to house a science laboratory into a computer laboratory. I also requested them to purchase a generator to run the computers and they accepted,†Oluka says.
With the 10 computers, the education ministry supplied to the school, Oluka initiated e-leaning.
In the computer lab, a dozen students swarm the computers, and bury their faces on the desktops, as they try to solve various tasks in science subjects.
To ensure hygiene, and control accumulation of dust, which affects computers, students remove their shoes before accessing the laboratory.
On the right, is a door which leads to Oluka’s office. On his table, a pile of books lie at the far edge, while a desktop, and laptop, sit in the middle.
The small office that barely stretches three square metres wide is a beehive of activity.
If Oluka is not attending to students, who have not understood a concept on a particular science subject, he is listening to a teacher seeking an appointment with him to learn computer skills.
In fact, my interview with him was occasionally interrupted so that he could have sometime to attend to teachers and students.
“Mr. Oluka, I need you to teach me something on computer applications. I know I am not a science teacher, but I also need to get abreast with some of these things,†Nicholas Omodo, an arts teacher, interjects during the interview.
Being a Universal Secondary Education school, with a total of 1,243 students, Oluka has allocated specific periods for each class to access the computer laboratory.
The students study in double shifts. S.1 and S.2 students access the computer laboratory between 10:00am and 2:00pm before the S.4 and S.3 classes take over until 7:00pm. Since the introduction of e-learning, Oluka says the school has registered progressive performance in sciences.
“The computer animations (live images) make the science class interesting. Students get to feel the lesson. The practicals are illustrated on a projector. This has interested students in sciences. Sometimes I have to stay with them in the laboratory until 7:30pm,†Oluka says.
In 2008, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) gave the school six more computers in recognition of the progress in e-learning.
UCC wired the Internet cables in the laboratory, and will provide a modem, to power up Internet connectivity.
With the ever fluctuating costs of fuel, Oluka asked the school administration to connect the school to electricity using the power line stretching along the Serere-Kumi road. The sh10m project was concluded in January last year.
Last year, during a ceremony in Mbale, Oluka was honoured with a certificate of distinction for emerging the best ‘super teacher’ in the eastern region.
The crowning was justified by the fact that he had invested individual efforts towards the programme, showed devotion, was readily available for fellow teachers and students, and able to push the administration to purchase soft and hardware to boost e-learning at the school.
To equip students with computer skills, Oluka has initiated 50 students at the school into the Cyber Science Club. The club is charged with training fellow students in computer skills, visiting neighbouring schools to participate in digital science quizzes, and conducting study trips.
Juggling teaching and being a youth pastor
“In everything I do, I always strive to excel and emerge among the top. Because of God’s love in me, I always want to instill moral values in these children. I have done this through the Scripture Union. I put more of my effort at school than at church,†Oluka says.
Outside school, he is the chairperson of Serere Young Entrepreneurs Association. This is a civil organisation formed recently to equip the youth with skills to enable them participate in sustainable income-generating activities in order to curb the rampant youth unemployment.
What others say about Oluka
Monica Arionget, an O’ level teacher of fine art at Serere, says chemistry is a tough subject, but Oluka, through innovation, has made the students like it. While teaching about bonding in atoms, he cut out old slippers, and joined them, to illustrate the point.
He also instructed students to make their own. The next day, some students used clay instead.
Grace Angwech, the deputy head teacher in charge of academics, says Oluka is dependable and takes advice.
She is also grateful that Oluka taught teachers how to use a computer.
Nicholas Omodo, another of Oluka’s colleagues, and his former teacher, praises him.
“I taught him here at O’ level. One time in 1996, the biology teacher left unexpectedly, and Oluka took over the candidate class,†he says.
Enock Muyege, a S.4 candidate, says unlike other teachers, who are intolerant of slow learners, Oluka is patient and can repeat a particular topic for the whole class to understand.
Stephen Ooonyu, the school cook, says whenever Oluka is on duty, he helps him with clearing meal cards to ensure that students do not get meals twice.
Emmanuel Olaboro, the pioneer chairperson of the school’s Cyber Science Club, describes him as diligent.
Born to William Eridu and Keletesia Akello in Abulu village, Kiyere sub-county in Serere district, Oluka lost both parents to HIV/AIDS in 1994 and 1996. At the tender age of 15, he was left to shoulder the burden of taking care of his five siblings.
Although the loss subjected him to the gruelling realities of teen parenthood, Oluka came out strong and determined.
“I went through tough experiences, but I excelled. I feel young people should strive for the best irrespective of the prevailing circumstances,†he advises.
How to nominate: Identify the teacher who has impacted his/her students and community. Send his/her name, contact to Mwalimu, P.O.Box 9815, Kampala Email: mwalimu@newvision.co.ug Or SMS your nomination: Type mwalimu [leave space] name of person, school, contact then send to 8338
AT first sight, he does not capture your attention until you discover his personality, and character. Anthony Oluka Eridu, 29, a teacher at Serere Secondary School, could pass for a student, if you found him walking on the school compound.
Oluka teaches chemistry and biology, but also serves as the youth pastor at Osuguro Pentecostal Assemblies of God church.
The Super Teacher, as he is fondly known, is adored by, both teachers and students, for propelling science education through e-learning at Serere in Serere district.
E-learning is a programme of the education ministry that was piloted countrywide in 80 government-aided secondary schools in 2007.
The programme involves the use of computer software called Virtual Lab to teach chemistry, mathematics, biology and physics.
The software, which contains a complete curricular in all the four subjects, including practicals, eases learning, and the teaching of sciences.
In Teso region, e-learning was piloted in Serere, and other secondary schools in Soroti.
When sciences were made compulsory at O’ level in 2007, Oluka, who had barely taught for two years at the school, was chosen, together with seven other science teachers in the school, to undertake training in the e-learning programme.
Oluka beat his colleagues and emerged the best. He proceeded for further training with the Cyber Schools Technology Solutions, a partner service provider with the education ministry, training teachers on how to apply e-learning.
Armed with knowledge, and skills on the new programme, the glaring task at hand for Oluka was how to put it into practise in order to demystify the belief among students that science subjects are difficult.
“The school had no space to house the computer laboratory, and electricity to run the computers. I convinced the administration to turn a block that was being built to house a science laboratory into a computer laboratory. I also requested them to purchase a generator to run the computers and they accepted,†Oluka says.
With the 10 computers, the education ministry supplied to the school, Oluka initiated e-leaning.
In the computer lab, a dozen students swarm the computers, and bury their faces on the desktops, as they try to solve various tasks in science subjects.
To ensure hygiene, and control accumulation of dust, which affects computers, students remove their shoes before accessing the laboratory.
On the right, is a door which leads to Oluka’s office. On his table, a pile of books lie at the far edge, while a desktop, and laptop, sit in the middle.
The small office that barely stretches three square metres wide is a beehive of activity.
If Oluka is not attending to students, who have not understood a concept on a particular science subject, he is listening to a teacher seeking an appointment with him to learn computer skills.
In fact, my interview with him was occasionally interrupted so that he could have sometime to attend to teachers and students.
“Mr. Oluka, I need you to teach me something on computer applications. I know I am not a science teacher, but I also need to get abreast with some of these things,†Nicholas Omodo, an arts teacher, interjects during the interview.
Being a Universal Secondary Education school, with a total of 1,243 students, Oluka has allocated specific periods for each class to access the computer laboratory.
The students study in double shifts. S.1 and S.2 students access the computer laboratory between 10:00am and 2:00pm before the S.4 and S.3 classes take over until 7:00pm. Since the introduction of e-learning, Oluka says the school has registered progressive performance in sciences.
“The computer animations (live images) make the science class interesting. Students get to feel the lesson. The practicals are illustrated on a projector. This has interested students in sciences. Sometimes I have to stay with them in the laboratory until 7:30pm,†Oluka says.
In 2008, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) gave the school six more computers in recognition of the progress in e-learning.
UCC wired the Internet cables in the laboratory, and will provide a modem, to power up Internet connectivity.
With the ever fluctuating costs of fuel, Oluka asked the school administration to connect the school to electricity using the power line stretching along the Serere-Kumi road. The sh10m project was concluded in January last year.
Last year, during a ceremony in Mbale, Oluka was honoured with a certificate of distinction for emerging the best ‘super teacher’ in the eastern region.
The crowning was justified by the fact that he had invested individual efforts towards the programme, showed devotion, was readily available for fellow teachers and students, and able to push the administration to purchase soft and hardware to boost e-learning at the school.
To equip students with computer skills, Oluka has initiated 50 students at the school into the Cyber Science Club. The club is charged with training fellow students in computer skills, visiting neighbouring schools to participate in digital science quizzes, and conducting study trips.
Juggling teaching and being a youth pastor
“In everything I do, I always strive to excel and emerge among the top. Because of God’s love in me, I always want to instill moral values in these children. I have done this through the Scripture Union. I put more of my effort at school than at church,†Oluka says.
Outside school, he is the chairperson of Serere Young Entrepreneurs Association. This is a civil organisation formed recently to equip the youth with skills to enable them participate in sustainable income-generating activities in order to curb the rampant youth unemployment.
What others say about Oluka
Monica Arionget, an O’ level teacher of fine art at Serere, says chemistry is a tough subject, but Oluka, through innovation, has made the students like it. While teaching about bonding in atoms, he cut out old slippers, and joined them, to illustrate the point.
He also instructed students to make their own. The next day, some students used clay instead.
Grace Angwech, the deputy head teacher in charge of academics, says Oluka is dependable and takes advice.
She is also grateful that Oluka taught teachers how to use a computer.
Nicholas Omodo, another of Oluka’s colleagues, and his former teacher, praises him.
“I taught him here at O’ level. One time in 1996, the biology teacher left unexpectedly, and Oluka took over the candidate class,†he says.
Enock Muyege, a S.4 candidate, says unlike other teachers, who are intolerant of slow learners, Oluka is patient and can repeat a particular topic for the whole class to understand.
Stephen Ooonyu, the school cook, says whenever Oluka is on duty, he helps him with clearing meal cards to ensure that students do not get meals twice.
Emmanuel Olaboro, the pioneer chairperson of the school’s Cyber Science Club, describes him as diligent.
Born to William Eridu and Keletesia Akello in Abulu village, Kiyere sub-county in Serere district, Oluka lost both parents to HIV/AIDS in 1994 and 1996. At the tender age of 15, he was left to shoulder the burden of taking care of his five siblings.
Although the loss subjected him to the gruelling realities of teen parenthood, Oluka came out strong and determined.
“I went through tough experiences, but I excelled. I feel young people should strive for the best irrespective of the prevailing circumstances,†he advises.
How to nominate: Identify the teacher who has impacted his/her students and community. Send his/her name, contact to Mwalimu, P.O.Box 9815, Kampala Email: mwalimu@newvision.co.ug Or SMS your nomination: Type mwalimu [leave space] name of person, school, contact then send to 8338