Printing and delivery of learning materials on course

EDUCATION  HEALTH

KAMPALA - By Friday, all the four million booklets containing revision materials for primary and secondary school learners will have been delivered to various parts of the country, according to Vision Group Chief Executive Officer, Robert Kabushenga.

Vision Group started printing and delivering the revision materials to authorities in "hard to reach parts" of the country on behalf of the education ministry on Monday.

On Wednesday, the education ministry permanent secretary, Alex Kakooza, was showed around the printing press facility at Vision Group offices in Kampala by Kabushenga.

The education ministry permanent secretary, Alex Kakooza, was showed around the printing press facility at Vision Group offices in Kampala by Kabushenga

 
Kakooza commended Vision Group for the impressive printing quality of the materials and delivery of the same to several parts of the country. He explained that the ministry had planned to print 12 million booklets of revision materials, but that was revised down to four million because of limited resources.

"I thank Robert and his team for helping us to realize this. When COVID-19 broke out, we developed a response plan even before the national task force was set up. The virus was still in China. We wanted to enable our learners to keep learning even if schools closed," Kakooza said.

The plan, according to him, involved getting teachers to produce the materials and print and deliver them to learners, hold revision sessions on television and radio stations and upload (the materials) to online platforms.

Robert Kabushenga explaining how the company had printed learning materials for the ministry of education to the PS, Alex Kakooza

 
"What Vision Group has printed covers a period beyond the lockdown. They are intended for hard to reach areas. These are materials that some schools, especially in rural areas, do not get. We have worked with experts from the curriculum development centre and the Uganda National Examinations Board to prepare these materials," Kakooza stated.

He explained that the best teachers were picked to participate in the production of the materials. Kakooza urged the learners to keep the booklets, saying they contain high-quality instructional materials. Vision Group delivers the materials to the resident district commissioners who distribute them to learners through the local government structures in sub countries and villages.

Kakooza explained that the best teachers were picked to participate in the production of the learning materials

 
"These are very important materials. When we are setting exams, we cover the entire syllabus and these materials cover a wide range of the syllabus and subjects. We have 12 million learners in schools today. These materials are meant for the four million," Kakooza stated.

He added that the other learners with access to internet can get the same materials through television revision sessions and online platforms such as the ministry website and YouTube.

 
Kabushenga said several of the learners in the selected parts of the country have already received the instructional materials. "We started delivering on Monday and the central region is covered. By Friday, we shall have delivered materials to all areas supposed to receive these materials. We hand them to the resident district commissioners who get them to the learners through local councils," he added.

 
In addition, New Vision and Bukedde daily continue to carry revision materials for learners. Uganda closed schools on March 20 to stem the spread of the coronavirus disease. This was followed by a lockdown that involves a night curfew and a ban on public transport and movement of private cars, among others. It is not clear when the lockdown will be lifted.