Vision Group CEO Robert Kabushenga taking education ministry officials on a guided tour of New Vision

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION   |   UNICEF 

As uncertainty looms on the re-opening of schools, the education ministry has dispatched another batch of reading materials for leaners.

The reading materials will be distributed through the Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), for the refugee camps.

The districts include Abim, Adjumani, Agago, Alebtong, Amolatar, Amudat, Amuria, Amuru, Arua, Bugiri, Bugweri, Buyende and Hoima. According to the ministry distribution plan, which New Vision has obtained, the reading material will be sent to 48 districts across the country.

Thirteen of the total districts, host refugees. The materials will not only be distributed to Ugandans, but all school-going children in 48 districts, including refugees.

According to the plan, which the New Vision has obtained, over 2.5 million reading materials from primary one to senior six, were printed.

Out of the total number of hard copies printed, 406,741materials will go to refugees and the host communities. The content was developed by the National Curriculum Development (NCDC) and printed by the New Vision. 

The Government has printed the material with Support from Strengthening Education Systems for Improved Learning (SESIL), UNHCR and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

The other partners are Global Partnership for Education (GPE), Irish Aid, and the Norwegian Embassy. According to the UNICEF, about sh2.9b was provided through the education ministry to print and transport the home learning materials.

Dr. Doreen Mulenga, the UNICEF country representative, said: "I am pleased to inform you that the learning materials will be made available to both primary and secondary school children, including refugees, from 48 districts with the low education indicators."

Elin Østebø Johansen, the Norwegian Ambassador to Uganda, said: "The reading material is a huge boost to see ensure that the next generation of leaders continue to study even in this lockdown.

Selection of districts

Alex Kakooza, the Education Ministry permanent secretary said, districts were selected from all regions depending on the vulnerability and poverty levels.

"The focus was on vulnerability of the people in those districts. We urge all parents to monitor our learners as they stay home safe," he said.

Due to budget constraints, he said, the education ministry may not be in position to printing reading materials to all school going children.

However, he said, the ministry has come up with three other delivery modes such as radio and television stations, through which learners can access reading materials.

On the online portal, there are contents from lower primary, up to senior six.

Robert Kabushenga, the Vision Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO), said: "People have appreciated the reading materials. In some districts, they had never had organised learning materials like what is being distributed. We applaud the government and donors for the contribution."

Special needs leaners

Grace Baguma, the NCDC Director, noted that they have also developed reading materials for the special needs students.

"We have all the content ready for our special needs learners," she said.

Here institution, she said, has developed audio scripts and brails for learners with sight challenges, and sign language master copies.

According to Baguma, the content was delayed due to the fact that it requires time to come up with scripts.

"The brails need time, we couldn't rush them. However, they are ready for printing and then they will distributed," she said.

The 2016 Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) report indicated that Uganda has a total of 48,775 special needs children in the country.

Rationale
On March 18, 2020, President Yoweri Museveni ordered for the closure of all academic institutions as part of the measures to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Following the Presidential directive, the education ministry developed a Framework for provision of continued leaning during the COVID-19 Lockdown for the country.

It was also developed to highlight the different modes of lesson delivery to be used for continued learning.

The framework was developed to guide other stakeholders especially parents on their roles and responsibilities to enable continued learning under the lockdown.