Support newspapers in education, teachers tell the government
Mar 30, 2010
IT was a new world of learning last week when The New Vision’s Newspapers In Education conducted a workshop for head teachers in Mbale. The two-day workshop held at Mbale district headquarters, Maluku and Northroad Primary school in Mbale town attracted over 200 head teachers from Mbale Municipali
By Ayiga Ondoga
in Mbale
IT was a new world of learning last week when The New Vision’s Newspapers In Education conducted a workshop for head teachers in Mbale. The two-day workshop held at Mbale district headquarters, Maluku and Northroad Primary school in Mbale town attracted over 200 head teachers from Mbale Municipality and Mbale district. The trainings were conducted by Jamesa Wagwau, the education editor, and John Eremu, the editor, investigation and special projects.
The workshop was organised as part of ‘Newspaper For Your Class’ campaign with the aim of helping pupils improve their academic performance by reading newspapers. The training involved a practical demonstration on how the newspapers can be used as a teaching tool. Throughout the training sessions, the head teachers were engrossed in cutting, pasting, writing and discussion of newspaper activities.
“The use of newspapers in the classroom creates team work and discussions. So, the Government, through the education ministry should support this initiative by funding the acquisition of newspapers for schools in order to promote quality education,†Harriet Mwesigwa, the inspector of schools, Mbale district noted.
She observed that the inability to analyse and interpret questions was the main cause of poor performance in national examinations.
“If this system is implemented, the reading and writing culture will be revived because it would have been instilled at an early age,†Mwesigwa said. “If we (schools) could partner with other organisations, it will benefit our children and likewise, the Government could supplement on the current budget for the UPE schools.â€
The head teachers emphasised the need for the Government to increase funds for Universal Primary Education (UPE) schools inordder to instil the skills of creativity, logical thinking, communication, personal relationship, interpretation, imagination and leadership at a youthful stage, if Uganda’s education standard is to be recognised internationally.
“Newspapers in Education help equip teachers with wide knowledge,†Joseph Wamukota, head teacher, Bumbobi Primary School said.
“The programme is extremely good. If schools can afford to purchase the papers, literacy in schools will improve tremendously because they (paper) touch several areas,†Martin Eric Wafuba of Gangama Primary School noted. “The Government should support such projects if we are to attain the millennium goal in the education sector.â€
He urged all schools to find alternative means of getting the newspapers. “Let us embrace this project (NIE) because most schools use the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and internet to promote education in most countries,†Wafuba added.
Joy Manana Nakayenze, the Mbale Municipal Education officer, described the workshop as a milestone event in Mbale Municipality.
“This is the first time we are having an educational training conducted by the media. I want to commend The New Vision for this creative initiative,†said Manana.
She promised to follow up the initiative with the head teachers to ensure the programme is implemented in schools.
NIE is a worldwide movement that strives to create a child-centred learning and the classroom environment more stimulating through the use of newspapers. Through this programme, The New Vision works with education stakeholders to enhance classroom resourcefulness and improve the reading culture. The programme helps teachers learn how to use newspapers as a learning resource.
International research has shown that learners who use the newspapers as a principal learning resource have better achievement scores than their counterparts who rely on textbooks only.
The newspaper is a versatile living textbook that can be used to teach any subject at any level. It is an exciting teaching aid because it simulates the real world in the classroom.
The 2006 survey on national assessment of progress in education revealed that more than half of the children in Primary three could not read or write to acceptable levels. The situation in upper primary school was even worse. In P.6, about 70% of the pupils could not read or write to acceptable level. Through NIE, The New Vision strives to bridge this literacy gap by using the newspapers as an exciting supplementary reading material.
in Mbale
IT was a new world of learning last week when The New Vision’s Newspapers In Education conducted a workshop for head teachers in Mbale. The two-day workshop held at Mbale district headquarters, Maluku and Northroad Primary school in Mbale town attracted over 200 head teachers from Mbale Municipality and Mbale district. The trainings were conducted by Jamesa Wagwau, the education editor, and John Eremu, the editor, investigation and special projects.
The workshop was organised as part of ‘Newspaper For Your Class’ campaign with the aim of helping pupils improve their academic performance by reading newspapers. The training involved a practical demonstration on how the newspapers can be used as a teaching tool. Throughout the training sessions, the head teachers were engrossed in cutting, pasting, writing and discussion of newspaper activities.
“The use of newspapers in the classroom creates team work and discussions. So, the Government, through the education ministry should support this initiative by funding the acquisition of newspapers for schools in order to promote quality education,†Harriet Mwesigwa, the inspector of schools, Mbale district noted.
She observed that the inability to analyse and interpret questions was the main cause of poor performance in national examinations.
“If this system is implemented, the reading and writing culture will be revived because it would have been instilled at an early age,†Mwesigwa said. “If we (schools) could partner with other organisations, it will benefit our children and likewise, the Government could supplement on the current budget for the UPE schools.â€
The head teachers emphasised the need for the Government to increase funds for Universal Primary Education (UPE) schools inordder to instil the skills of creativity, logical thinking, communication, personal relationship, interpretation, imagination and leadership at a youthful stage, if Uganda’s education standard is to be recognised internationally.
“Newspapers in Education help equip teachers with wide knowledge,†Joseph Wamukota, head teacher, Bumbobi Primary School said.
“The programme is extremely good. If schools can afford to purchase the papers, literacy in schools will improve tremendously because they (paper) touch several areas,†Martin Eric Wafuba of Gangama Primary School noted. “The Government should support such projects if we are to attain the millennium goal in the education sector.â€
He urged all schools to find alternative means of getting the newspapers. “Let us embrace this project (NIE) because most schools use the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and internet to promote education in most countries,†Wafuba added.
Joy Manana Nakayenze, the Mbale Municipal Education officer, described the workshop as a milestone event in Mbale Municipality.
“This is the first time we are having an educational training conducted by the media. I want to commend The New Vision for this creative initiative,†said Manana.
She promised to follow up the initiative with the head teachers to ensure the programme is implemented in schools.
NIE is a worldwide movement that strives to create a child-centred learning and the classroom environment more stimulating through the use of newspapers. Through this programme, The New Vision works with education stakeholders to enhance classroom resourcefulness and improve the reading culture. The programme helps teachers learn how to use newspapers as a learning resource.
International research has shown that learners who use the newspapers as a principal learning resource have better achievement scores than their counterparts who rely on textbooks only.
The newspaper is a versatile living textbook that can be used to teach any subject at any level. It is an exciting teaching aid because it simulates the real world in the classroom.
The 2006 survey on national assessment of progress in education revealed that more than half of the children in Primary three could not read or write to acceptable levels. The situation in upper primary school was even worse. In P.6, about 70% of the pupils could not read or write to acceptable level. Through NIE, The New Vision strives to bridge this literacy gap by using the newspapers as an exciting supplementary reading material.