Education Minister proposes more community libraries to address English language problem

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | More community libraries should be built as a solution to the chronic failure by learners to master the English language at various levels, the Education and Sports Minister, Janet Kataha Museveni has proposed.

She was responding to complaints from the Uganda Business and Technical Examinations Board-UBTEB that candidates from different polytechnic schools can’t still comprehend and express themselves in English.

The minister said that it is shocking that learners in technical institutes are finding it hard to express themselves in English.

“At other levels of learning, English is being properly done. The libraries will help learners in polytechnics to access books that will help them improve on the language,” Mrs Museveni said.

According to Janet Museveni, once libraries are created, learners will be able to access reading material, which will help improve their ability to read and write.

During the release of the Uganda Certificate of Education examinations last week, the Uganda National Examinations Board-UNEB Executive Secretary, Dan Odongo said that candidates at that level struggle with English.

“The examiners noticed that candidates cannot write compositions. They misuse big crammed words that the examiners themselves cannot understand,”Odongo said.

UNEB has attributed the failure in English to the use of jargons and slang picked from social media. Isaac Tibasiima, an assistant Lecturer of Literature at Makerere University attributed the failure of the language to poor teaching.

“Teachers today force students to cram sophiscated words from pamphlets in a bid to pass composition writing. Students are not taught to freely express themselves and be corrected when they make a mistake. Teachers force them to learn what they think is needed,” Tibasiima noted.

In addition to failing English, learners who sit for science related courses were found to have a problem with both Mathematics and Sciences.

Onesmus Oyesigye, the UBTEB Executive Secretary, says the failure of Mathematics, English and Sciences led to the failure of 728 candidates who sat the examinations.

While Mrs Museveni proposes the creation of more libraries to improve the reading culture in the country, it is unclear how the endeavor will be funded or if it will bring about any change.

As of now, according to the Uganda Communities Library Association, there are over 30 community libraries. However, many of them like the one in Mubende and Masaka districts are in very bad shape with some even lacking books.

At the Uganda National Library located in Kampala, over 80 percent of the people who visit use the library to do other work instead of borrowing a book to read.

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