Schools want gaps in distribution of self study materials addressed

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Schools have asked the Ministry of Education to address gaps in the distribution of the home study materials.

The materials were distributed to schools as part of the interventions to supplement teaching-learning activities in the Covid-19 disrupted learning period. The Ministry of Education contracted three different publishers including; Baroque Publishers, MK Publisher, and Fountain Publisher to print and distribute 5.43 million copies to benefit learners in upper primary and lower secondary.

By the end of February this year, most schools had received the materials which are designed in textbook format with guidelines requiring headteachers to specifically give out the books to individual learners as they came back to school in a staggered manner.

However, as the ministry plans to distribute the materials next month, schools want the ministry to address the gaps that include unfairness in the distribution, delays in delivering the materials, less content and also lack of standard mechanism of monitoring the learners at home.

Alice Nabwire, the Deputy Headteacher of KCCA Primary School Kamwokya, says the school received fewer copies compared to the number of learners.

According to the education ministry, the study materials are distributed based on the enrollment of the schools.

Nabwire wants the ministry to first ascertain the number of learners before the materials are distributed.

David Ssengendo, the headteacher of Buganda Road Primary School says that although the school received adequate materials, the ministry should come up with clear guidelines on how learners will be monitored and how they will reach the learners who can’t access the school premises.

Edward Kanoonya, the headteacher of Kololo secondary school is against the suggestion of using the village local leaders to distribute the materials.

Thomas Kitandwe, the headteacher of Quality Primary School complains about the delays in delivering the home study materials, which makes it difficult to serve the intended purpose.

Dr Dennis Mugimba, the Spokesperson Ministry of Education, says parents are expected to take up the role of supervising their children to ensure that the provided materials are not put to waste.

He also says that says some schools failed to receive the self-study materials because they were found closed at the time of distribution.

Mugimba says the government has so far spent 48 Billion Shillings on the materials that it’s yet to distribute to the lower primary section and upper secondary.

*****

URN