The proper implementation of the Uganda Teacher and School Effective Project (UTSEP) has improved on the learner’s advancements in primary schools. Janet Kataha Museveni, the Minister of education has revealed.
UTSEP is as special project that was introduced by the Ministry of Education in 2015 with an aim of improving the children’s learning achievements and increase the number of school going children and completing primary education.
In a message that was read for her, by the State Minister of Higher Education John Chrysostom Muyingo at the Office of the Prime Minister in Kampala on Thursday this week, the first lady said that the project purposely invested in improving the teacher’s effectiveness.
“There was inadequate teaching in the lower classes especially primary one to four. Some of our teachers were not helping our children how to read early” she said
“The teaching and learning environments in some of our schools were not contusive enough for learning. The governance systems that were put in place by the head teachers and School Management Committees and lack of facilities especially classrooms, latrines and safe drinking water was all together affecting learning” she added.
According to the First Lady, the project focused on; improving teacher’s competencies, improving access to and utilization of instructional materials, enhancing teacher supervision and strengthening school management and governance.
“We trained over 17,000 teachers from 2,727 primary schools in 29 lowest performing districts in the country on effective teaching” she said
To ensure that learners improve in reading, Kataha said that the ministry implemented the Early Grade Reading Methodology in different districts which include Nwoya, Maracha, Oyam, Kaliro and Iganga.
“Our EGRA assessment results that UNEB commissioned in 2018 showed that 27.4 percent of learners in UTSEP beneficiary schools can now read 20 or more words per minute compared one percent in 2016” he said
Through the same project, the Ministry has also distributed ad is still distributing over 13 million copies of text books of English, Mathematics, local languages and teacher’s guides have been supplied to over 12,000 public schools from primary one to seven.
