ARUA TEACHERS DECRY RAMPANT POLICY CHANGES IN EDUCATION SECTOR

By Godwin Abedican

Arua

Teachers in Arua District and city are concerned about the rampant changes that are being introduced in the education sector. Uganda’s education sector is one of the sectors mostly affected by policies and reform suggestions by experts.

During this year’s world teachers’ day celebrations on 5th October 2023, in which the district and city held a joint celebration   at Eruba primary school in Arua district, teachers raised concerns that with the rate at which policies are being introduced in to the sector; a lot is being misinterpreted hence affecting the quality of education in the country.

Drasiku Alfred a teacher from, onzivu primary school in Arua city has been in the profession for the last 20 years. He says the whole education system seems to be diluted with too much copying from other countries. “Issues to do with policy come year in year out and you see some of these policies they come they don’t carry any meaning they actually come to undo what has been good already existing but as government keeps on changing and getting innovations they come in with new things which they hope will improve the education system or quality but then you will find sometimes it will also expose things more and more in the country. The education system is, I could say failing,” he said.

Drasiku Alfred a teacher from, Onzivu Primary School
 
The Government of Uganda through the Ministry of Education and sports continues to undertake a series of education reforms meant to improve the quality of basic education, which include large-scale changes in the primary curriculum, language of instruction for the lower primary sub-sector, provision of basic learning materials and reforms in teacher training among others, which the teachers say are not fit for the country’s education sector.

Similarity Salome Eyotaru a former teacher who retired in September this year (2023) after being in the teaching profession for 35 years criticized the changes in policy which have cut across right from teacher training. “Teaching those days we were well trained for four years but this time only two years, now that time when we were trained you teach the whole class the whole lesson but this time subjects are only given one to two which makes the teachers lazy. Those changes have made the teaching to die just a natural death, those are the things which make the children not to pass really.”

Salome Eyotaru a retired teacher being interviewed by Radio Pacis
 
In a previous interview with Radio Pacis, Gabriel Eriku the chairperson for Uganda National teacher’s union (UNATU) Terego branch decried the lack of involvement of teachers and other educationists in formulation of education policies in the country by the Ministry of Education and sports. “Who are these experts? Between me and them who is an expert in the field of education? I think the best decision will come when you consult us teachers on ground, if you don’t consult us as teachers you are killing the nation, I cannot consider them to be experts otherwise those are people who are looking for their success therefore, the kind of education reforms they have definitely affects the education negatively, otherwise I do welcome the policies if you can come through us and if you don’t come across teachers that is a wrong policy,” he stressed.     

However, according to Philiam Aliwaru Daisy the principal NTC muni and the chairperson principal’s forum the guest speaker for the joint teacher’s day celebration of Arua city and district, these reforms are a long term plan towards making education better in the country “To me these changing things have not affected any learner our interest here as a country is we want to improve the quality first and foremost of the teacher, secondly the quality of teaching and learning and in the bid of improving the quality of teaching and learning you will not have a straight line you must make adjustments inform of reforms here and there and streamline a system until you achieve your  target of what we refer to improved quality of the teacher and the quality of teaching and learning,” she explained. 

Philiam Aliwaru Daisy the principal NTC Muni and the guest speaker for the joint celebration
 
This year’s celebration of the world teacher’s day under the theme the teachers we need for the education we want, a global imperative to reverse the teacher shortage was the 29th since it was designated in 1994

COVER PHOTO: Teachers take to the streets to mark their day By Godwin Abedican