The Minister of Education and Sports who is also the First Lady Maama Janet Kataha Museveni has underscored the importance of education and a dedicated teaching staff towards the attainment of a transformed Ugandan society from a peasant to a modern country.
While officiating at this Year’s Teachers Making a Difference Awards Ceremony held at State House Entebbe, Mrs Museveni acknowledged the vital role in celebrating and honoring teachers who go beyond their professional responsibilities in service to their communities.
Ministry of Education and Sports was today awarding Uganda’s outstanding teachers through “The Teachers Making a Difference” a project where Mrs Museveni has additionally sponsored 6 teachers for the exchange program in Ireland.
This year’s overall winner is Alice Mary Birungi from Bombo Army Secondary School, Chemasuet Arafat from Kalasi Girls Primary School in Amudati district, John Bosco Loibok from Karenga Boys Primary School, Richard Begura from Immaculate Heart Girls Secondary School, Tairi Fungaro from Yumbe Primary School, Aisha Mbeya from Nalubaale Primary School, Anna Lomonyang from Kangole Boys Primary School, Job Afeku from Yoro Primary School, Elisa Mftundinda from Muramba Seed Secondary School, Moris Wamuwaya from Nabumali boarding Primary School, Florence Nabasumba from St Peters primary school in Mukono and Stella Ejang from St Katherine Girls School.
Mrs Museveni noted that the teachers making a difference program is intended to reinforce the value of innovation, and commitment in the teaching profession through a competitive assessment of teachers and the best amongst them are awarded with their enrollment to an exchange program to Ireland on top of other prizes to commend them for their excellent service.
She explained that the government’s Policy interventions are intended to improve access to education and enhancement of quality of learning in educational institutions including the Universal Primary Education (UPE) Programme that currently supports over 8.5 million learners countrywide, Universal Secondary Education (USE) and Universal Post Primary Education and Training (UPPET) policy
Mrs Museven hinted on plans to continue with efforts to fast track the education policy of one primary school per Parish and one Secondary School per Sub-county across the country in a bid to further emphasize decentralization of education in the country.
The First Lady noted that Government has also implemented curriculum reforms to address the relevance of education, notably the competence-based curriculum being implemented at ‘O’ Level and the new A’ Level curriculum introduced to align with lower secondary curriculum reform
She guided winners of the “Teachers Making a Difference Awards” on the their cause to nurture learners into productive citizens and reminded them to stick to integrity and ethical compliance in their practice and commended education support agencies for complementing education improvement initiatives.
While speaking at the same event, the Minister of State for Higher Education Dr John Chrysestom Muyingo reminded teachers of their call of transformation of society as their core responsibility because education is the backbone of society.
The Ireland Ambassador to Uganda and Rwanda, Mags Gayno, underscored the impact of the exchange program for the enhancement of teachers competencies as implemented through the “Teachers Making a Difference” program
Ambassador Gayno noted that the initiative recognises excellence in teaching and highlights the important role teachers play in national development, acknowledge Uganda’s National Teacher Policy and the Teacher Incentive Framework that contribute to supporting teachers and improving learning outcomes and noted efforts of the Gender Technical Unit in advancing progress in gender equity and equality budgeting and programming, an endeavour supported by the Embassy.
The Chairperson of The Board of Directors Vision Group Dr Patricia Litho defined “The Teachers Making a Difference Award” project as both strategic and intentional to celebrate Uganda’s outstanding teachers.
Dr Litho noted that a number of reforms have been implemented to make the education system more responsive to market demands and the fast-paced global technological advancement there by stating the Media’s role in the attainment of the transformative learning goals
Earlier, the New Vision Chief Executive Officer Don Wanyama explained the scope of the ” Teachers Making a Difference Wards” project which has been implemented since 2013 as a flagship education initiative where over a thousand outstanding teachers have been recognized for their exceptional practice
He explained that the top six of the 12 winners of the “Teachers Making A Difference competition” fly to Ireland for continuous professional development training, cash prizes for individual winning teachers while their schools also receive equipment to support in the delivery of quality education in their respective communities six of whom are sponsored by the Ministry of Education and Sports under the guidance of the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports Maama Jannet Kataha Museveni
Wanyama calls for institutionalization of the ‘Teachers Making a Difference’ initiative for better planning and increase funding for more slots into the competition motivate more teachers to come up with innovations to improve the delivery of education.
