Kamuli gets Shs300m early childhood centre

The First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of East African Community (EAC) Affairs, Ms Rebecca Kadaga, has launched an early childhood centre in Kamuli District to bolster education.

The centre is a joint initiative between the Institute for Rural Education and Development (IREAD) and the Rotary Club of Kampala Daybreak.

The project cost $85,000 (about Shs300m).

While launching the centre at Kamuli Girls’ Boarding Primary School at the weekend, Ms Kadaga challenged parents to invest in their children and instill in them values that promote future careers.

She recounted a visit to a nursery school in Cuba, where she reportedly found a three-year-old wearing a white gown, saying she was a ‘doctor’ while another, who was standing behind an aeroplane, said she was an ‘engineer’.

From the visit, Ms Kadaga said Cubans make their children think early about what they want to be.

“Let us invest in our children from the early (formative) stages; this facility is going to help them grow in a proper and orderly way. My Cuban experience is that we should expose our children to what makes them think about what they can be so let’s give them relevant play materials,” Ms Kadaga said.

The Bishop of Busoga Diocese, Paul Naimanhye, said: “The diocese prioritises and supports education development and is working tirelessly to see that education gets to admirable standards.”

“IREAD is to pick up the children’s interest in education at early stages since most of us were taken away when we were set to join Nursery,” the family’s representative said.

Mr Fred Kitakule, the president of the Rotary Club of Kampala Daybreak and IREAD liaison officer, urged people to embrace early childhood education, facilitate the teacher’s welfare and maintain the facility.

“This facility is to tickle you to embrace early childhood learning opportunity to address foundational issues. This is your facility to sustain and maintain,” he said.

Ms Joy Kasana Muwanika, the head teacher of Kamuli Girls Boarding Primary School, applauded the timely intervention, saying the centre is the first nursery school in a government-aided institution in the district.

“It brings great relief, especially after the Covid-induced lockdown,’’ she said.  

Childhood development

Ms Muwanika underscored the critical role nursery education plays in child development and preparing their transition to primary level. 

“As an educationist, nursery education is the milestone where the numeracy and basic education starts. Unfortunately, such basic education is often inaccessible for rural parents owing to financial constraints, while others overlook it. Therefore, investing in early childhood development is key in developing human capital,” she said.

He added that the nursery school will serve the general community in Kamuli, with more emphasis on girls and in line with the government policy of having a nursery school attached to each primary school.

Kamuli Girls’ Boarding Primary School has a population of 850 girls and the nursery section will accommodate between 150 and 200 learners.

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