SESEMAT TRAINS SCIENCE TEACHERS ON COMPETENCE SKILLS FOR LOWER SECONDARY CURRICULUM

By Joseph Abiria

Arua

Science Teachers under their umbrella body of Secondary Science and Mathematics Teachers (SESEMAT) have been trained in order to compel them to effectively implement the new lower secondary school curriculum.

It was discovered that only 60% of teachers are so far competent with the new secondary school curriculum leaving the 40% to gamble. More efforts are needed to train secondary school teachers on competence and assessments, the new secondary school curriculum is based on practical’s, leaving no room for gambling.

The teachers were equipped with knowledge on assessment of competence levels, understanding assessment of lower secondary curriculum and activity integration.

During the training, Godfrey Yiiki, the chairman regional management committee asked teachers to continuously retool their knowledge inorder to get acquainted to the new advanced secondary school curriculum. ”Right from the classroom approach up to assessment has not been proper, the government with other agencies are working together in improving competencies of teachers in lower secondary school curriculum," he remarked

Professionalism leads to acquisition of knowledge and mastering the content, the national trainer for SESEMAT programme Rogers Makaf challenged teachers to continuously yarn for knowledge and expand their professional abilities. ”And use this to expand your professional capacity, I know our  Regional Trainers have been empowered further to support you so that you continue to do that, so we believe in them, and believe they have the capacity”, he added.

But Paul Musoke, the technical supervisor for SESEMAT Programme emphasized that under the new policy, government intends to start licensing teachers so as to make sure that they   become duty bearers in national development of the country. ”since we handle CPD, what has been put in the teacher policy requires now a bill setting, but when it passes through, teachers are meant to be licensed, that every after 2 years somebody will renew his or her license,” he emphasized.

In his closing remarks, Raymond Ombere, the Arua city education officer urged teachers to produce learners who are multi skilled in creating jobs for themselves. ”the lower secondary school curriculum is saying lets produce learners with competencies that can help them to graduate into the world of work and therefore I want to thank SESEMAT for making sure that they build your capacity because we can’t produce competent people when we don’t have competencies ourselves”, he stressed.

Secondary science mathematics teachers (SESEMAT) is continuously professionalizing the development of teachers in order to uplift their competences with the lower secondary school curriculum.

COVER PHOTO: (L) Yiki Godfrey Regional Manager Sesemat(M) Paul Musoke National Trainer And (R) Is Raymond Ombere Arua City Education Officer By Joseph Abiria