Among the measures adopted by countries hit by Coronavirus include the closure of all education institutions.
Radio & TV classes
In an effort to keep the children busy and productively engaged, a number of media houses in Uganda (notably, radio and television), have come up with academic programmes, majorly focusing at those students in the candidate classes (P.7, S.4, and S.6).
It is against this background that government through the Ministry of Education and Sports wants to formally launch radio and television lessons, especially during this lockdown period.
While conducting lessons via radio and television is indeed a brilliant idea, formalising the exercise, moreover, by government, is not.
According to the Education Minister, Janet Museveni, the ministry plans to officially identify selected media houses, where formal teaching will be conducted by selected teachers. Before coming up with this idea, did the Minister take keen note of the following questions:
Points to note
(1) To what extent has the ongoing teaching programme on radio and television benefited its target audience?ment?
(2) Preparation of schemes of work and lesson plans is a principal requirement, if any teacher is to conduct an organised and meaningful lesson; so, in this case, how possible will it be for teachers to come up with these two basic tools? Besides, to whom will the teachers present those tools? That is, who will be in charge of monitoring and supervising the teaching-learning process?
(3) What group is the Ministry targeting? Assuming they are equally focusing on students in the candidate classes, then, what plans do they have for those in non-candidate classes?
Nursery school, tertiary institution
(4) What plans does the Ministry have for nursery pupils (who also have a right to education), despite their age/level of education?
(5) What is the Minister’s plan for students in tertiary institutions and universities? Is the minister aware that just as a P.7, S.4, or S.6 candidate is adversely affected, so is a final year student in a tertiary institution and university?
(6) Does every student, regardless of the level of instruction and location, have access to both radio and television?
(7) Is the Minister aware that many households, including those in urban areas like Kampala, Wakiso, and Mukono districts can no longer afford to buy even a single unit of Yaka during this lockdown period, due to lack of income? So how does she expect the teaching-learning process to go on as planned?
