By Ouni Jaspher
State House Nakasero: Ministry of Education and Sports has Awarded Uganda’s outstanding teachers through “The Teachers Making a Difference” project where the First Lady also Minister of Education and sports Maama Jannet Kataha Museveni has additionally sponsored 6 teachers for the exchange program in Ireland.
While officiating at this year’s Teachers Making a Difference Awards Ceremony held at State House Entebbe, the Education Minister Jannet Kataha Museveni asserted the importance of a string education and a dedicated teaching staff towards the attainment of a transformed Ugandan society from a peasant to a modern country thereby acknowledging the vital role in celebrating and honoring teachers who go beyond their professional responsibilities in service to their communities.
This year’s overall winner is Alice Mary Birungi from Bombo Army Secondary School, Chemasuet Arafat 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.
Others are 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.
Jannet Kataha Museveni notes 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 guided winners of the “Teachers Making a Difference Awards” on their cause to nurture learners into productive citizens.
Jannet Kataha Museveni explains government’s Policy interventions 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.
She hinted on plans to continue with efforts to fast track the education policy of one primary school per Parish and one secondary secondary per Sub county in a bid to further emphasize decentralization of education in the country.
The minister notes 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.
The first lady Maama Jannet Kataha Museveni reminded teachers to stick to integrity and ethical compliance in their practice and commended education support agencies for complementing education improvement initiatives.
The ambassador of Ireland to Uganda and Rwanda Mags Gayno underscores the impact of the exchange program for the enhancement of teachers competencies as implemented through the “Teachers Making a Difference” program.
Gayno notes 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.
Gayno notes efforts of the Gender Technical Unit in advancing progress in gender equity and equality budgeting and programming, an endeavour supported by the Ireland Embassy.
