Learners in rural areas set to benefit from remedial classes

Pupils in rural areas are expected to benefit from remedial classes aimed at improving their reading and writing skills.

The initiative is being rolled out by Building Tomorrow, a non-profit organisation, in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Sports and local governments.

In an interview with the Monitor yesterday, the manager of the Remedial Learning Model at Building Tomorrow, Mr Edward Munyaneza, said: “We are doing remedial classes for Primary Three, Four and Five learners who cannot read and write. When these learners progress to upper primary, the teachers follow a dictated curriculum, hence they cannot teach learners what they missed in lower primary.”

Mr Munyaneza said various studies have shown that many learners in upper and transition classes can hardly read and comprehend Primary Two and Three content.

“The most troubling data was from the World Bank which indicated that the literacy levels among a big number of pupils in developing countries, Uganda inclusive, was very low. These could not comprehend the content. We noticed that the skills these learners are grappling with are foundational in nature and can be addressed,” he said.

The remedial classes are conducted in two phases; one at the school and another within the community.

Church leaders, district education officers and parents identify places where the community camps are conducted.

Mr Munyaneza said the lessons, which take an hour, are conducted by Community Education Volunteers (CEVs) under the watch of the teachers.

The CEVs are identified by the organisation with help from parents and school administrators. These will move from school to school within their respective communities to conduct the classes.

The classes will be conducted throughout the term and are slated to continue subsequently until the reading outcomes are achieved.

The beneficiary districts include Nakasongola, Sheema, Kasanda, Masindi, Kamwenge, Gomba, Luuka, Jinja, Mubende, and Kamuli.

The Mubende District senior education officer, Mr Balinda Khassm Disangabasaija, said: “The enrollment in schools where we are rolling out these programmes has increased because the attitude of parents towards the studies of their children has become positive. We are hopeful that the learning outcomes will also improve.”

Community Education Volunteer

Community Education Volunteer (CEV) are driven by a deep passion for transforming their villages through the power of education. With their strong ties to the community, they mobilise household caregivers to enroll children in school and participate in our supplementary learning programmess. CEVs play a crucial role as education extension agents, reaching learners in remote communities.

They often lead Roots to Rise (remedial learning programme) Community camps, which are held in local neighborhoods, including their own backyards.

The Roots to Rise Community initiative was launched during the Covid-19 pandemic to provide safe, in-person learning opportunities for children, even when schools were forced to close.

These are working tirelessly to ensure learners return to the classroom. They have had thousands of conversations at churches, gathering places, community meeting points, and neighbors’ homes to ensure caregivers send their children back to school.

ISSUE

According to the 2021 Uwezo National Learning Assessment report, the overall percentage of children who are still at the ‘non-reader’ stage (those who could not read or sound out letters of the alphabet) doubled from 6.2 percent in 2018 to 11.6 percent in 2021.

For Primary Three pupils, the proportion of non-readers increased from 12.7 percent in 2018 to 25.1 percent in 2021 while the percentage of children aged eight years increased from 32.8 percent to 50.7 percent.

The 2022 World Report indicated that the situation was made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic which led to the closure of schools for nearly two years in developing countries, which saw the number of 10-year-olds who could not read increase to 70 percent.

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