Education policies are inconsistent
EDITOR—I wish to comment on the trend the education ministry is taking. Recently the ministry directed that about 18 subjects in S1 and 2 be taught and then students choose a minimum of eight and a maximum of 10 subjects in S3 that they must register for in S4. This is too much load on a student
EDITOR—I wish to comment on the trend the education ministry is taking. Recently the ministry directed that about 18 subjects in S1 and 2 be taught and then students choose a minimum of eight and a maximum of 10 subjects in S3 that they must register for in S4. This is too much load on a student in a week and a waste of time.
Directors of studies have been finding difficulties fitting the subjects on the time-tables given that there are also co-curricular activities.
While the directors of studies are still fidgeting with the time-tables, the head teachers are struggling to choose three subjects to add to the seven compulsory ones.
This follows a circular from the ministry directing that USE Government secondary schools should teach a maximum of 10 subjects. This contradicts the former one of 18. One therefore wonders whether these policies follow designed plans.
For instance the schools have now submitted lists of the subjects that they feel they should teach. It should be noted that various factors have been considered to choose the three subjects to supplement the seven.
Sometimes head teachers deliberately choose subjects with the intention of getting rid of some teachers or retaining them. In the end it is the students who suffer. On the other hand, this threatens the employment of both the already employed and the potential teacher employees whose subjects are being phased out.
One needs to remember that this policy comes at a time when universities and colleges have student teachers busy studying most of the subjects being phased out in most schools!
What plans does the ministry have for such people when they graduate? Why can’t the ministry first phase out the teaching of the ‘undesirable’ subjects in teacher training colleges and universities?
It is just like telling people that smoking can harm their health but ignoring factories producing cigarettes. I would urge the ministry to first examine the impact of their circulars before they implement them. no country can be better than its education system!
Mike Asiimwe
Kampala
Directors of studies have been finding difficulties fitting the subjects on the time-tables given that there are also co-curricular activities.
While the directors of studies are still fidgeting with the time-tables, the head teachers are struggling to choose three subjects to add to the seven compulsory ones.
This follows a circular from the ministry directing that USE Government secondary schools should teach a maximum of 10 subjects. This contradicts the former one of 18. One therefore wonders whether these policies follow designed plans.
For instance the schools have now submitted lists of the subjects that they feel they should teach. It should be noted that various factors have been considered to choose the three subjects to supplement the seven.
Sometimes head teachers deliberately choose subjects with the intention of getting rid of some teachers or retaining them. In the end it is the students who suffer. On the other hand, this threatens the employment of both the already employed and the potential teacher employees whose subjects are being phased out.
One needs to remember that this policy comes at a time when universities and colleges have student teachers busy studying most of the subjects being phased out in most schools!
What plans does the ministry have for such people when they graduate? Why can’t the ministry first phase out the teaching of the ‘undesirable’ subjects in teacher training colleges and universities?
It is just like telling people that smoking can harm their health but ignoring factories producing cigarettes. I would urge the ministry to first examine the impact of their circulars before they implement them. no country can be better than its education system!
Mike Asiimwe
Kampala