Turkish envoy urges govt to invest in training teachers

The new Turkish Ambassador to Uganda, Kerem Alp, has called for more investment in training teachers as they are instrumental in developing the careers of leaders in the country.

He said the world over, teachers play a vital role in grooming leaders such as presidents, military officers and top government officials and, therefore, more resources should be channelled towards their training.

"We need to invest more resources in developing teachers. Unfortunately, sometimes society doesn't recognise them yet their contribution is critical," Alp said.

"If we have good teachers, we have a good generation," he said during his visit to Kololo Secondary School in Kampala last week.

He cited the example of the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, saying he was able to cause a revolution in the country as a result of teachers' input in his life.

Alp said consequently, Turkey was one of the leading countries in the world that have offered refugees sanctuary and humanitarian assistance.

He explained that teachers spend more time with students than parents and, therefore, the Government should invest more in their education.

Alp said he was optimistic that the Governments of Uganda and Turkey would strike a deal of co-operation in the area of education and other fields.

Medical help

The envoy also encouraged Ugandans to seek medical help in Turkey because the country has advanced technology in treating ailments that require a lot of money in other countries.

Alp shares a light moment with student Victoria Kyomuhendo after she gave a rousing welcome speech for the Turkish delegation. Photo by Francis Emorut

Alp was impressed by students who presented a poem on peace, adding that it was good for the country to maintain peace and stability, beginning at the family level.

"The principle of peace at home and peace in the world is very important," Alp said.

He also informed the school administration about the available opportunities for scholarships at post-graduate level and encouraged them to apply.

He encouraged students to study Turkish as there are employment opportunities in Turkey and with Turkish companies in Uganda.

The headteacher of Kololo Secondary School, Edward Kanoonya, informed the ambassador that the school was grappling with challenges such as inadequate science laboratory equipment, lack of running water in the laboratories, leaking roofs and using asbestos for roofing.

Kanoonya explained that asbestos was condemned by the World Health Organisation since it is a health threat but the school had no financial resources to replace them.

He said students were inconvenienced as science experiments could not be carried out due to dilapidated equipment.

Kanoonya appealed for assistance to address the challenges to enable students to excel in science subjects and not to risk the health of both teachers and students studying under asbestos roofs.

He informed the Turkish delegation that the government-aided school, which was founded in 1954, has 3,000 students and over 100 teachers.