Farm Talk rewards schools, teachers
Jan 09, 2005
FARMING may not be popular in many primary schools, but there are a few schools that stand above the rest in this arena.
By Gilbert Awekofua
FARMING may not be popular in many primary schools, but there are a few schools that stand above the rest in this arena.
According to Farm Talk, schools like Atede Primary School in Gulu, Madibira in Busia have been models in the field of farming.
It was such schools and teachers, who promote farming that Farm Talk rewarded for their effort on December 7. Forty schools and forty teachers received cash prizes of sh100,000 each for their excellent performance.
The competition code named ‘Great agriculture, teacher and great school garden competition’ started after Farm Talk sent out advertisements in the Farm Talk issue of March, June and September 2004. Two hundred and fifty schools from 45 districts participated.
Each competing school was expected to describe in detail how they were carrying out their farming activities. These are schools that had been receiving seeds from Farm Talk. Farm Talk team had visited some of them before.
Judges from the Ministry of Education, Agricultural Productivity Enhancement Programme (APEP), Agricultural Sector Programme Support (ASPS) and NEMA joined Farm Talk team at Straight Talk foundation (STF) offices in Kamwokya to select the winners.
The best school in each district was picked as a winner. It was this particular school which received sh100,000 while the agriculture teacher who entered his or her school for the competition also received sh100,000.
The award giving ceremony was at Nakaseke Primary Teachers College. It was preceded by a three-day agriculture training workshop designed to enable the teachers grasp the concept of quality and profit-oriented agriculture.
The future seems bright for schools that embrace Farm Talk initiative in schools.
According to Lisbeth Mathiassen, the training assistant, agriculture sector programme at DANIDA, said her office will continue supporting Farm Talk initiatives.
ASPS/DANIDA sponsored the competition and the agricultural training session at Nakaseke.
During the training, teachers got basic skills in agriculture like improving soil fertility, preparing composite manure, nursery crop management and pest control.
The Communications Director Straight Talk Foundation, Cathy Watson urged teachers to encourage pupils to take up farming in schools.
The Assistant Commissioner in charge of teacher education, Zikanga Kiyundo, urged all primary schools to embrace agriculture because agriculture is the backbone of the economy.
He said teachers, who send pupils to the gardens as punishment when they make mistakes in schools are giving agriculture a negative face.
Kiyundo commended Straight Talk Foundation for initiating Farm Talk and Tree Talk activities in schools in addition to providing information on Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health (ASRH) through Straight Talk newspaper.
Farm Talk newspaper is produced three times a year. All the 13,000 primary schools in Uganda are sent vegetables seeds to enable schools practice agriculture and also improve on their nutrition.
FARMING may not be popular in many primary schools, but there are a few schools that stand above the rest in this arena.
According to Farm Talk, schools like Atede Primary School in Gulu, Madibira in Busia have been models in the field of farming.
It was such schools and teachers, who promote farming that Farm Talk rewarded for their effort on December 7. Forty schools and forty teachers received cash prizes of sh100,000 each for their excellent performance.
The competition code named ‘Great agriculture, teacher and great school garden competition’ started after Farm Talk sent out advertisements in the Farm Talk issue of March, June and September 2004. Two hundred and fifty schools from 45 districts participated.
Each competing school was expected to describe in detail how they were carrying out their farming activities. These are schools that had been receiving seeds from Farm Talk. Farm Talk team had visited some of them before.
Judges from the Ministry of Education, Agricultural Productivity Enhancement Programme (APEP), Agricultural Sector Programme Support (ASPS) and NEMA joined Farm Talk team at Straight Talk foundation (STF) offices in Kamwokya to select the winners.
The best school in each district was picked as a winner. It was this particular school which received sh100,000 while the agriculture teacher who entered his or her school for the competition also received sh100,000.
The award giving ceremony was at Nakaseke Primary Teachers College. It was preceded by a three-day agriculture training workshop designed to enable the teachers grasp the concept of quality and profit-oriented agriculture.
The future seems bright for schools that embrace Farm Talk initiative in schools.
According to Lisbeth Mathiassen, the training assistant, agriculture sector programme at DANIDA, said her office will continue supporting Farm Talk initiatives.
ASPS/DANIDA sponsored the competition and the agricultural training session at Nakaseke.
During the training, teachers got basic skills in agriculture like improving soil fertility, preparing composite manure, nursery crop management and pest control.
The Communications Director Straight Talk Foundation, Cathy Watson urged teachers to encourage pupils to take up farming in schools.
The Assistant Commissioner in charge of teacher education, Zikanga Kiyundo, urged all primary schools to embrace agriculture because agriculture is the backbone of the economy.
He said teachers, who send pupils to the gardens as punishment when they make mistakes in schools are giving agriculture a negative face.
Kiyundo commended Straight Talk Foundation for initiating Farm Talk and Tree Talk activities in schools in addition to providing information on Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health (ASRH) through Straight Talk newspaper.
Farm Talk newspaper is produced three times a year. All the 13,000 primary schools in Uganda are sent vegetables seeds to enable schools practice agriculture and also improve on their nutrition.