Education Ministry endorses teacher training programme

The Ministry of Education and Sports has given the go-ahead to the use of a programme that will enable teachers to support disabled and normal learners in the same schools.

The programme is known as National Teaching and Learning Pedagogy for Teacher Education Institutions in Uganda; raising achievements for all learners aims at helping teachers deal well with their learners.

According to Dr Sarah Bunoti, a lecturer at Kyambogo University (KYU) and consultant at Enabling Education Network, the programme's goal is to equip teachers with the skills necessary to interact with students regardless of their unique characteristics.

She explained that contrary to popular belief, inclusive education is solely for students with visible disabilities or disabilities, but that typical learners may also have invisible disabilities that impede their ability to advance academically.

 "This programme will help teachers understand all the children," Dr Bunoti added. "We have shy children who cannot participate in class; we have orphans, learners who are displaced or whose parents have died or gone to work."

"This will enable children to attend school and participate; we are looking at all children regardless of special needs education, which is a small component of the programme," the speaker continued.

Mr Charles Mugisa, principal education officer of the Department of Special Needs and Inclusive Education at the MOES said performance is poor because teachers are teaching learners they do not know.

He explained that if the teachers are skilled they will be able to identify, and assess learners' needs and be able to address the challenges.

 "As teachers, we have to ensure that all learners with or without disabilities attend, participate, achieve and progress in school,” he said.

Adding; “Educating pupils is not a one-man show but all stakeholders, parents, teachers, community and learners themselves to benefit from education.”

Mr Mugisa said that learners are in the community hence if teachers are taken through this programme, they will be able to identify the learners and help them learn, participate, achieve and progress in schools.

Adding; “If we put this programme in teacher training institutions we will have teachers with skills for learners from the initial- the performance was low this year.”

The programme was developed by Enabling Education Network

“We call it raising achievement for all learners; we have introductory books, teacher assessment books, supporting children in refugee camps, children with additional learning needs and modules for a conducive environment for pupils,” Ms Bunoti said.

Other modules also look at the role of school and community support for learners where it’s believed for a learner to achieve, it’s not only the teachers but different stakeholders have a part to play.

The modules also involve identifying children who have dropped out of school and bringing them back to school and lastly, the material training teachers on learning styles since each child has their way.

The material has been adopted by the MOES and will be used in all teacher training institutions, the ministry will ensure all teacher training institutions inculcate it into their teacher training programme.

Mr Chris Ninsiima, director of programmes at the National Union of Disabled Persons of Uganda (NUDIPU), said the programme will help disabled children since they would be able to get help from normal children

“Disabled children only need support to be able to study like other children; we have realised that teachers come from different teacher institutions and some are not taught how to teach the disabled children,” Mr Ninsiima.

Adding; “When we have teachers given extra education on special education, they will comfortably teach both pupils in the same school, we have found out that disabled children are happier in mixed schools than in special needs schools.”

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