Fashion

Government should take over nursey school education- Experts suggest

Published

2 years ago

February 22, 2022

Danny

Experts have asked the Education Policy Review Commission to consider the integration of the 21st Century life skills and values in the curriculum and assessment of learners at all levels of education.

According to a report filed by the Daily Monitor, the experts have also asked government to take over nursey education, which is currently under private investors.

The Ministry of Education formed the Education Policy review Commission composed of 12 experts, who are seeking proposals and views to form the new Education White Paper 2022 to replace the one that was formulated in 1992.

The ministry is also seeking to change the policies, assessment and curriculum, among other issues.

The director of centre for teaching and learning support at Makerere University, Dr David Kabugo, said the education review commission should address the issue of access to education for all Ugandans.

He said most learners, especially those in rural areas do not have access to pre-primary education(nursery).

Kabugo said the nursey schools in urban areas are expensive because they are under the private sector.

“Government has ignored the pre-primary sector which has gone un-regulated. The school fees rates are very high and learners are being taught by unskilled teachers. Government should ensure that each primary school has a nursery class because this stage is crucial in the learning outcomes of children,” he said.

Kabugo also asked the commission to push for compulsory Teachers’ Continuous Professional Development every two years, enabling teachers to stay up-to-date with the emerging of technology and way of teaching.

The principal of the College of Education at Makerere University, Prof Anthony Mugagga Muwagga, said the examinations administered do not require learners to think critically.

Prof Mugagga was speaking to a local newspaper in an interview after the launch of Adapting assessment into a policy and learning (ADAPT) at Makerere University in Kampala.

He said the learners are given questions based on what they were taught, adding that they cram the notes and reproduce them to pass exams.

“Learners in the 21st Century should be able to identify and solve problems, be critical thinkers and should be able to use the emerging technologies to innovate solutions. At a moment, these are lacking,” Prof Mugagga said.

“Even in science practicals, learners are taught how to mix chemicals as opposed to teaching them what type of medicine they can get from mixing chemicals,” he added.

Mugagga said the curriculum should be reviewed to incorporate skills, so that learners are equipped from the grassroots.

Samuel Otieno, a lead researcher at GESCI organization and East Africa, said Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda should undergo education reforms, use the available data and research to change their education system.

He said the countries should not ignore changing the curriculum for teacher trainees because these determine what type of content they impart to learners.

Hasadu Kirabira, a school proprietor, asked the Education Policy Review Commission to consider the issues of research and proper planning, human resource development, and adopting ICT in the teaching and learning system.

Fashion

MTN applauds Uganda for stable and predictable policy.

Published

11 months ago

September 7, 2023

Danny

Yolanda Cuba, the MTN Uganda Vice President for South and Eastern Africa has

commended government of Uganda for putting in place a stable and predictable policy

environment as she delivered opening remarks at the second Uganda – South Africa Trade

and Investment Summit in Munyonyo, Kampala.

She said government appreciates that the private sector must get return on investment.

“In most countries, they roll out the red carpet. Then, they roll out the red tape. But Uganda

appreciates that we must get return on investment. If there is an agreement, it gets honored

and that’s important for business,” Cuba said.

“She added: “Uganda was our third market to launch into when we were starting to roll out.

Today, there are 18 million Ugandans connected to our voice and data services and there are

11 million Ugandans using our Mobile Money services. That has happened because of the

great collaboration with the government of Uganda.”

Cuba explained that having the right partners in place and having the right regulatory

environment to be able to do business has pivotal to MTN success. She pointed out that due

to this clarity of policy, MTN received spectrum allocation and launched 5G – the first to do

so in Uganda, in record time.

The first session of the Uganda-South Africa Trade and Investment Summit was held in

February 2023 during the State visit of H.E President Yoweri K. Museveni to South Africa.

During that meeting their Excellences, President Cyril Rwamaphosa and President Yoweri K.

Museveni approved the convening and hosting of the second session of the Uganda-South

Africa Trade and Investment Summit in Kampala, which has just concluded in Munyonyo.

More than 50 companies were represented at the second Uganda- South Africa trade and

investment summit

The Summit was attended by Hon. Thoko Didiza, Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and

Rural Development, Hon. Mondli Gungubele, Minister of Communication and Digital

Technologies, and Hon. Nomalungelo Gina, Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and

Competition from the Republic of South Africa.

On the Ugandan side was Hon. John Mulimba, Minister of State for Regional Cooperation,

Hon. Bright Rwamirama, Minister of State for Animal Husbandry, Hon. Peter Lokeris,

Minister of State for Mineral Development, Morrisson Rwakakamba, Chairman Uganda

Investment Authority, Odrek Rwabwogo, Senior Presidential Advisor on Special Duties, and

Humphrey Nzeyi, Chairman of the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU).

MTN Uganda was the main sponsor alongside Absa Bank, Stanbic Bank, dfcu Bank, Sanlam,

Multichoice, Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU), Uganda Investment Authority (UIA)

and the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID).

Entertainment

Tourists cancel bookings after Kasese attack.

Published

1 year ago

June 26, 2023

Danny

The recent attack on a Kasese school has begun having a negative impact on the tourism industry in the Rwenzori region.

Sector players in Kasese district have decried cancellations of bookings by tourists.

In 2019, Kasese District Council passed a motion designating Kases as a tourist district, raising its profile as a tourist destination.

The district is home to fresh water lakes Edward and Georg, Kazinga Channel, Queen Elizabeth, and Mt Rwenzori national parks, and Katwe salt lake, among other unique features.

However, Beno Isuka, the chief Executive officer of the Rwenzori Mountaineering Services, a mountain hiking and tour guide company, says clients have cancelled four trips following the attack.

He says these cancellations mean loss of money from foreign exchange, park fees, transport and local hotel services.

John Hunwicks, of Rwenzori Trekking Services, says many of their clients who had booked and paid up have asked for a refund after the attack.

Early last week, the Uganda Tourism Board, issued a statement, encouraging tourists to treat the attack on Mpondwe Lhubiriha Secondary school as an isolated incident, saying Uganda remains safe under the protection of the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF).