A seed school in Jinja being prepared to become a learning model in the region has been provided with equipment to improve teaching and learning with the ultimate goal of stepping up learner recruitment, retention and completion.
Masese Seed School has been provided with four computers and textbooks for Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, ICT, Biology and English. Most of the text books were published by Vision Group.
According to Flavia Mpeirwe, the teaching and learning officer in Busoga Region, similar support has been extended to other schools in the region, which include; Mpumudde Seed School, St. Stephen Budondo Senior School, Busedde Seed School, Buyengo Senior Secondary School, Lubani Senior Secondary School, St. John Bosco Kamuli Senior School, St. Paul Mbulamuti Senior School and Bulopa Senior Secondary School.
The assistance is part of an initiative the Enabel, a development agency of the Belgium’s federal government charged with promoting Belgian co-operation for sustainable international development.
Mpeirwe said the agency’s objective is to support institutional and infrastructural development while integrating ICT into education so as to bridge learning gaps, particularly in digital literacy.
She said Enabel has also provided water tanks and mordern cooking equipment to Masese Seed school with the objective of transforming it into a model school in the region.
Mpeirwe said the initiative implemented in Jinja district, Jinja City, Kamuli Municipality and Kamuli district in the Busoga region, is focusing on integrating technology in education to make learning relevant and compatible with the 21st century demands.
Enabel Uganda Programme Manager, William Mubiru said that the partnership with the education ministry aims at enhancing teaching quality, governance, leadership and the overall learning environment.
He revealed that the initiative is part of a five-year programme designed to empower communities through skills development, education and healthcare service, benefiting regions such as Busoga, the Albertine, Rwenzori, West Nile and the Kampala Metropolitan Area.
Mubiru said that the programme implemented through Enabel Uganda, is a five-year arrangement for empowering communities through skills creation and development, promoting education and health services in the regions of Busoga, the Albertine, Rwenzori, West Nile and the Kampala Metropolitan area.
“I extend my appreciation to authorities in Jinja for closely working with us in areas like intensifying ICT skills improvement for both teachers and learners. I also implore the government to step up staffing levels, in addition to increasing training materials,” he said.
So far, Enabel has supplied a total of 36 computers and 7800 textbooks to the nine beneficiary schools. Similar assistance will also be extended to schools in Fort Portal City, Kasese, Kyegegwa and Kabarole districts.
Masese Seed School headteacher, Hajat Aisha Male Yiga welcomed the Belgian support, describing it as timely given the school’s urgent infrastructural needs.
Male revealed that classrooms designed for 50 students currently accommodate as many as 120 learners, while the school has only eight latrine stances for its 1,000 students. Additionally, the school faces a shortage of laboratories and other essential facilities.
On the staffing front, Male said only 32 teachers are available out of the required 50. To bridge the gap, the school’s board has hired 13 part-time teachers, covering critical subjects such as ICT, technical drawing, Lusoga language and Islamic studies.
“The school also faces a shortage of computers, with only four previously available, primarily serving ‘A’ level students for whom ICT is a compulsory subject. ‘O’ level students have been mainly having theory classes in terms of computer lessons,” the headteacher said.
She however added that the donation of four extra computers from Enabel is going to cause a very positive impact.
Male also praised Enabel for additional contributions, including training teachers in computer literacy, donating a modern energy saving kitchen, thunder arresters and installing a water harvesting system.
Furthermore, Enabel is sponsoring the education of 50 students who were at the risk of dropping out due to financial difficulties.
One of the beneficiaries, a Senior Four student, Shafic Kafeero, shared his story of struggle and relief. Raised by a single mother, he had taken up bodaboda riding to raise money for school fees.
“During my Senior Three first term holidays, I was called to school and informed that Enabel had offered to sponsor my education. I had been pushing just to sit for the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) but now, I see hope for continuing to ‘A’ level,” said.
Denis Waiguta, the school’s director of studies, said that before the donation, each textbook was shared by about 10 students, affecting syllabus coverage.
“With the new textbooks, we can allocate more resources to each student, improving group work and overall learning outcomes,” he said.
Martin Alvin Walugembe, Vision Group’s salesperson, also recognized Enabel’s partnership with Vision Group to boost the education of Uganda’s children.
