We need demonstration schools in teachers’ colleges, says Seninde

Kampala. The State Minister for Primary Education, Ms Rose Mary Seninde, has said the government must revive establishment of demonstration primary schools near all Primary Teachers’ Colleges for cross-institutional dividends.
“For a country to develop, it should have quality teachers [to] produce quality students. Demonstration schools should be an example to all other schools and they should have quality and model teachers,” she said.
The previous governments established model primary schools near PTCs to give teachers hands-on experience while providing the younger learners opportunity to benefit from resources of the training institutions.
Performance of the demonstration schools has declined over the years, Ms Seninde said, and called for them to be equipped with quality teachers.
She, however, did not outline the next practical steps she will take to achieve the reforms after the three-day teacher education symposium held at Kyambogo University in Kampala.
The theme of the Tuesday symposium was, ‘striving for efficiency and effectiveness in teacher education.’
Dr Jane Egau Okou, the commissioner Teacher Tutor Instructor Education and Training, said the symposium was to galvanise stakeholders to examine education provision along a continuum that involves the learner, teacher and tutor.
“To have quality education, the educators of teachers must be highly qualified experts of teacher education to be able to pass the unique skills to teach a learner,” she said.

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Ms Seninde urged the tutors to be very creative and use things around them while explaining different concepts to improve the learning experience and simplify complex issues to relate to the real world.
Ms Mariata Bayoa, a participant and tutor at Erepi PTC in Moyo District, said the symposium provided a re-awakening on principles they learnt during training.
“The programme is a good initiative and I hope it continues because it will change the education sector in Uganda,” she said, adding: “We have learnt to involve creative teaching to create long lasting memories which is a great tool.”
The minister urged tutors to act as role models and teach trainees strict morals to stem cases of teachers involving in love affairs with pupils.
“We have a problem of teachers aiming at only teaching to make students pass and this is because teachers aren’t skilled. To have great teachers, teacher educators should skill them [to] be creative,” she said.