Aga Khan hails UPE
Jun 01, 2003
They might be in one of the country’s cream primary schools, but pupils of Aga khan Primary School are for the Universal Primary Education (UPE) programme
By Lillian Nalumansi
They might be in one of the country’s cream primary schools, but pupils of Aga khan Primary School are for the Universal Primary Education (UPE) programme.
Although the public has heaped a lot of criticism for UPE which is seven years old, Aga khan pupils say it is the long term solution to improving the future of children from poor families.
“We cannot market our produce because we cannot speak English.We have no toilets because our cultures do not believe in them. The girl children have no value in society and they have to be given away early to marry older men because that is what our society says,†said a group of pupils.
Problems like the heavy demand UPE put on teachers because of increased enrolment were depicted, but at the end of the play the message to the audience was that UPE should be supported by all, because its benefits outweigh the negatives.
This was part of the package that the pupils presented on the parents day.
Parents and visitors were also entertained with poems recited in Swahili and French. The Day’s MC told us that P4A which recited rhymes and poems in Swahili are the pioneers of the Swahili language now being taught at Aga Khan.
According to David Ogaja, the headteacher, the school has an all round curriculum. This was evident in the Music, Dance and Drama performance that the pupils put on.
There were traditional folk songs in which both the Ugandan and Asian pupils participated.
After watching P3 and P4 girls in the Am Alive (by Celine Dion) group dance, you had to give kudos to the teacher who choreographed it. No wonder all the children enjoyed themselves.
They might be in one of the country’s cream primary schools, but pupils of Aga khan Primary School are for the Universal Primary Education (UPE) programme.
Although the public has heaped a lot of criticism for UPE which is seven years old, Aga khan pupils say it is the long term solution to improving the future of children from poor families.
“We cannot market our produce because we cannot speak English.We have no toilets because our cultures do not believe in them. The girl children have no value in society and they have to be given away early to marry older men because that is what our society says,†said a group of pupils.
Problems like the heavy demand UPE put on teachers because of increased enrolment were depicted, but at the end of the play the message to the audience was that UPE should be supported by all, because its benefits outweigh the negatives.
This was part of the package that the pupils presented on the parents day.
Parents and visitors were also entertained with poems recited in Swahili and French. The Day’s MC told us that P4A which recited rhymes and poems in Swahili are the pioneers of the Swahili language now being taught at Aga Khan.
According to David Ogaja, the headteacher, the school has an all round curriculum. This was evident in the Music, Dance and Drama performance that the pupils put on.
There were traditional folk songs in which both the Ugandan and Asian pupils participated.
After watching P3 and P4 girls in the Am Alive (by Celine Dion) group dance, you had to give kudos to the teacher who choreographed it. No wonder all the children enjoyed themselves.