Accredit our certificates, adult learners ask govt
Nov 26, 2006
FUNCTIONAL Adult Literacy (FAL) learners in Busoga region want their certificates accredited by the Ministry of Education and Sports so as to access secondary school education.
By Ronald Kalyango
FUNCTIONAL Adult Literacy (FAL) learners in Busoga region want their certificates accredited by the Ministry of Education and Sports so as to access secondary school education.
The certificates issued after a nine-month course are designed by the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development.
“Apart from the practical skills, the certificates could be an equivalent of a Primary Leaving Examination certificate. Because they are designed by a different ministry, the certificates cannot be presented for further education,†said Zowena Nabirye, FAL coordinator Kamuli district.
Nabirye was leading a visiting team from Literacy Network for Uganda (Lit Net), on a monitoring programme of the Literacy programme in Jinja, Kamuli and Iganga districts recently.
Majority of literacy coordinators, both at the sub-county and district levels expressed dissatisfaction with the gender ministry for not availing them with learning materials in Lusoga language.
Currently, the adults learn in Luganda and people need to be empowered in their own language.
They also complained of the little funding from the Government which does not match with the ever-increasing number of learners in the region.
“We can’t fund the programme and we have no source of revenue after Graduated Tax was scrapped,†said Michael Opoka, the Kamuli community development officer.
Stella Keihangwe, the Lit Net coordinator, said the gender ministry had formulated a software device for data storage, processing and management to boost literacy programmes.
FUNCTIONAL Adult Literacy (FAL) learners in Busoga region want their certificates accredited by the Ministry of Education and Sports so as to access secondary school education.
The certificates issued after a nine-month course are designed by the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development.
“Apart from the practical skills, the certificates could be an equivalent of a Primary Leaving Examination certificate. Because they are designed by a different ministry, the certificates cannot be presented for further education,†said Zowena Nabirye, FAL coordinator Kamuli district.
Nabirye was leading a visiting team from Literacy Network for Uganda (Lit Net), on a monitoring programme of the Literacy programme in Jinja, Kamuli and Iganga districts recently.
Majority of literacy coordinators, both at the sub-county and district levels expressed dissatisfaction with the gender ministry for not availing them with learning materials in Lusoga language.
Currently, the adults learn in Luganda and people need to be empowered in their own language.
They also complained of the little funding from the Government which does not match with the ever-increasing number of learners in the region.
“We can’t fund the programme and we have no source of revenue after Graduated Tax was scrapped,†said Michael Opoka, the Kamuli community development officer.
Stella Keihangwe, the Lit Net coordinator, said the gender ministry had formulated a software device for data storage, processing and management to boost literacy programmes.