Aga Khan University graduates 823 Ugandan head teachers

By John Agaba

The Agha Khan University Institute of Educational Development in East Africa yesterday awarded Certificates in Educational Leadership and Management programme to 823 Ugandan Secondary School head teachers.

The 823 head teachers from Ugandan Universal Secondary Education (USE) schools, graduated after successfully participating in the International University's Educational Leadership and Management training course, from April to July 2014.

They were selected by the Ugandan education ministry to participate in the program.

Handing over their certificates to Dr. Yusuf Nsubuga, the Director for Basic and Secondary Education, at the ministry's headquarters in Kampala yesterday, Prof. Pauline Rea-Dickins, the Aga Khan's Institute of Educational Development director, congratulated the head teachers on their feat; and for completing "one of the best educational programmes of the highest quality that is targeted towards the needs of the communities."

She said the Aga Khan Institute for Educational Development has been working with the education ministry for a number of years "but this partnership to support school leadership marks a new and exciting chapter in our relationship."

The research-led Aga Khan University is an international institution of higher learning, with numerous campuses all over the globe.

Nsubuga congratulated the head teachers, saying he was satisfied they would use the knowledge and skills acquired to improve the education standards in USE schools in the country.

"We expect the head teachers to use the leadership and managerial skills acquired to enhance quality management in our schools. There should be no excuse this time - because the head teachers have the skills," Nsubuga said.

He revealed that the ministry was also fast tracking a process of creating centers of excellence among Ugandan USE schools, and some of the graduands from the Aga Khan University would be transferred to head-teach at these centers.

The head teachers' training was part of a bigger World Bank program that saw over 573 schools built countrywide, classrooms renovated and laboratories equipped with apparatus.

Edward Ssebukyu, from the World Bank and the UPPET/APL project coordinator, said "we started with phase one, which focused on construction of schools; and phase two, which focused on the provision of textbooks, laboratory equipment and other scholastic materials to the schools. After, we wanted to empower the head teachers who would be in charge of these schools."

"This is a big achievement. 922 head teachers were enrolled and 823 have graduated," Ssebukyu said.

He revealed that the five year project, which started in 2009, cost $150m (about sh400b).

Pauline Rea-Dickins said the University was able to mobilize the large team of head teachers using their team of education specialist tutors to deliver the highly practical skills. They had training centers in Gulu, Bushenyi, Nyondo and Nakaseke.

Olive Nassali Kyohere, the head teacher at Luzira Secondary School and one of the project beneficiaries, praised the programme. He said it had practical leadership modules that will "definitely make me a better manager."

She said, under the program, her school received 12 new classrooms, a modern library and a 25-stance waterborne toilet for both girls and boys.

Baritazale Kule Benson, the commissioner for Government secondary schools, commended Aga Khan University, saying that the training would help the head teachers in managing their day-to-day tasks.

He, however, said that the ministry still had a deficit of head teachers in other USE schools, who didn't get the chance to undergo the training and asked if they could have a chance in the near future.

Ambassador Mahmood Ahmed, the Aga Khan Development Network Resident Representative, revealed that, for the January 2015 intake, the University has offered a total of 22 scholarships to Ugandan students to study a Master of Education program at their campus in Dar-es-Salam, Tanzania.