MPs query plan to distribute learning materials to homes

Government has announced plans to distribute self-study learning materials to homes across the country.
The State Minister in charge of Higher Education, Mr John Chrysostom Muyingo, told Parliament yesterday the material will cover the learning gaps created by the closure of schools.
Mr Muyingo was appearing before the Parliamentary Committee on National Economy chaired by the Nakaseke North MP, Ms Syda Bbumba.

Mr Muyingo who was at the receiving end of MPs over the ministry’s failure to provide equal opportunities to learners to access either the printed learning materials or learning through televisions and radios, said the first phase only covered 25 per cent of the learners across the country.
“We started with providing the self-help study materials. In the second phase, we are going to ensure that each and every learner gets a copy of the materials” Mr Muyingo said.

The Minister added: “the resources we have requested for from the Ministry of Finance will help us print materials that will reach every home.”
The MPs tasked the minister to explain why the government cannot declare the 2020 education year dead academic year. They argued that all efforts that the government is putting forward are discriminatory because only the children of the rich and those in urban areas are benefiting.

“If government has failed to distribute masks which cost Shs1,000 each, how can you distribute learning materials to each of the 15 million learners?” asked the Busongora North MP, Mr William Nzoghu.
The Aswa County MP, Mr Regan Okumu, accused government of “sacrificing” a generation in the way it is responding to the Covid-19.
“Do you understand the population you are dealing with? What you are doing is a waste of resources because it is not impactful at all,” Mr Okumu said.
The MPs also pointed out that with the radio and TV stations being the proposed channel for the campaigns ahead of the 2021 elections, it will be difficult to balance talk shows with teaching.

“I do not know why government cannot declare that this is a dead year. Can you put the country to rest so that parents prepare for next year?” asked the Ayivu County MP, Mr Bernard Atiku.
Minister Muyingo revealed that having received Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) from the Ministry of Health, the Education ministry is planning a phased re-opening of schools.
“The Ministry of Education is now in the process of harmonising them (SOPs) with our guidelines for phased re-opening of education institutions,” he said.
Mr Muyingo told MPs that the ministry requires more funding to be able to go through the process. He did not reveal how much money is needed altogether.
Asked about the post Covid-19 plans for the sector, the Minister revealed that the Ministry is looking at the use of ICT in the instructions delivery process of lessons.
He said the ICT in education capacity is most urgently needed at higher education level because the institutions can no longer entirely rely on face-to-face lecture room in this era.

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