J1216NU Developing Excellence in Education Uganda

The Situation

Education is key to lifting people out of poverty. It provides employment opportunities and empowers children to be involved in decision making for themselves and for their communities. Although primary education is mandatory in Uganda, only 80% of children attend primary school and less than half of that participate in early years education. Dropout rates are high.

The quality of education provided is a concern. Large class sizes and inadequate teacher training lead to poor literacy and numeracy outcomes. Teaching methods are teacher-centric and exam-driven. Teachers are often poorly educated themselves and may be demoralized and poorly paid leading to high absentee rates. Violence against children is common in Ugandan schools.

Schools are often poorly resourced. Private schools are totally reliant on school fees. Schools are consequently under resourced with minimal classroom resources and little, if any, digital technology. Classrooms are too often poorly maintained and/or unsafe.

New Hope International works to support schools to pursue excellence for the sake of Uganda’s children primarily through teacher training and community development.

The Objectives

• Teacher Training

A key focus of the project is through the provision of excellent teacher training through New Hope International (NHI). NHI’s Effective Teaching and Learning Series (ETLS) 1, 2 and 3 is one series that provides professional learning for teachers that builds their capacity, character, confidence, and competence in the classroom. Other training in classroom management and holistic education is part of the project. This has the effect of:

• Keeping excellent teachers in the classroom
• Providing a safe, productive learning environment for children
• Developing the capacity and confidence of teachers to teach well
• Building the capacity of teachers to take a student focus in their classroom management

Training will go a long way towards addressing the issue of inadequate teaching in Uganda and will reduce or eliminate the use of corporal punishment in classrooms and abuse of students. A productive, safe classroom environment will also help reduce the incidence of children not completing their education. Excellent education is the primary means of providing students with hope and lifting them out of poverty.

• School Development

The project will also assist schools to purchase and maintain the physical resources needed to provide quality education: safe, attractive classrooms and books and digital resources needed in a 21^st century world. This, supplemented with teacher training, will enable those resources to be used and maintained well to maximise children’s educational outcomes.