Namutamba, Ndejje worst teachers colleges

Aug 02, 2009

NAMUTAMBA, Ndejje University and Kibabi have been named the worst primary teachers training colleges in the country, according to the just released results of the 2008 primary teachers’ examinations.

By New Vision Reporter

NAMUTAMBA, Ndejje University and Kibabi have been named the worst primary teachers training colleges in the country, according to the just released results of the 2008 primary teachers’ examinations.

About three-quarter of the candidates at Namutamba in Mityana district failed. Namutamba, which started in the 1930s, is one of the oldest teachers colleges in the country.

Ndejje University teachers’ college scored second worst; half of its students failed.

At the top of the list were Kaliro and Kibuli teachers colleges. Out of the 286 students who sat the exams at Kaliro PTC, only two failed – a failure rate of less than 1%. While at Kibuli only seven out of the 231 students did not make it – a 3% failure rate.

Uganda has 52 PTCs that are spread across all the regions. Despite an improvement in performance, 2,562 out of 11,658 candidates failed last year’s examinations – roughly one quarter.

This is, however, better than last year when one third of all candidates failed.

Bishop Willis in Iganda district was the third best college, followed by Nakaseke Core, St. Augustine of Fort Portal, Kabukunge in Masaka district and Rakai.

At the bottom of the list were Kitabi, St. Mary’s Bukedea, Christ the King Gulu, Sancta Maria Lugazi, Moroto PTC, Kabulasoke in Mpigi, Buloba and Jinja PTC Wanyange.

All these colleges had a pass rate of below 50%.

Shimoni PTC, which used to be among the best, scored poorly this time, with 83 of its 394 candidates failing.

Officials at Kyambogo University, to which all PTCs are affiliated, attributed Shimoni’s poor performance to its relocation from Kampala to Mbale district.

The Government in 2006 allocated the prime land in Kampala on which the college sat to an investor to construct a hotel in preparations of the CHOGM meeting 2007. The hotel is yet to be constructed.

The principals also attributed the high failure rate to understaffing, inadequate funding and the students’ poor studying habits.

“We admit low quality students. They come from poor families and third world schools. They come to PTCs as a last resort. They have a poor reading culture,” said John Willy Arinaitwe, the chairperson of the principals’ association.

He said a number of PTCs lacked laboratories and relevant textbooks to handle science-based subjects.

“We are the core of education standards in the country. But most colleges lack tutors for sciences, social studies and mathematics. This should be solved urgently.”

Tom Marembo, the principal of Ibanda PTC, said the sh1,500 the Government gives per student per day was too little. “It is not enough. We cannot use that money to meet college costs, such as stationary, food, fuel, and others.”

He added that the colleges are “persistently indebted.”

Out of 11, 658 candidates, who registered for the examinations, 21 got distinctions, 7,608 got credit passes and 1,139 passes. The overall percentage pass was 75.2%, slightly better than last year’s 67.4%.

Of the 8,768 candidates, who passed, 60% were male and 40% female.

Uganda lacks enough primary teachers, which has led to a high teacher-pupil ratio. In some schools, one teacher can attend to a class of over 150 pupils and handle more than two subjects.

According to the education minister, Namirembe Bitamazire, the country has 124,000 primary school teachers. It needs another 132,000 so that each teacher attends to 53 pupils.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});