The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kalaki, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A decision by the government to limit lessons broadcast to Uganda Broadcasting Corporation- UBC is frustrating learning as the country continues to suffer effects COVID-19 lockdown, according to a cross-section of Parents.
Initially, the government had asked the District Education Officers- DEO’s to submit names of popular radio stations in their areas to the Ministry of Education and Sports to enable them to air out lessons under its Education Response plan which seeks to maintain continuity in learning even as schools remain closed.
But the suggestions from DEO’s for popular radio stations in Teso were rejected. Instead, the government considered UBC Radio and UBC TV as the only channels to air out the learning programs.
Kapelebyong District Education Officer Samson Olaki Okare says that UBC radio signals in the district are very poor and unreliable, yet the local radio stations that should have helped in airing the lessons were excluded. Okare says that the home learning program has not commenced well in the district due to numerous challenges including inadequate learning material, lack of supervision and facilitation to the villages.
Soroti District Education Officer James Oede says that contracting UBC to run lessons for children locked up by Coronavirus in the villages was a disservice to the majority of the communities whom he noted, don’t listen to the government radio.
Oede says the district has been saved by the intervention of World Vision, which offered airtime for children in primary on Etop Radio.
Kalaki District Education Officer Charles Bonnie Maginot says that the radio programs don’t favour children in lower primary whose learning was based on a thematic curriculum which uses the local language as guided by the thematic curriculum. He, however, asked the Ministry of Education and Sports to provide all the required materials to help children learn at home.
Joseph Epilu, a father to the three primary children in Obule Primary School in Asuret Sub County, Soroti District says he has not received any study material for his children since the distribution started. He adds that he has never picked the UBC signal on his ser.
“I have never heard about UBC radio and I don’t even know its frequency. How will my children benefit from those lessons? Besides, children rarely listen to the radio, if they do, they want music and comedy programs”, he said.
On Monday, President Yoweri Museveni said that the government will be distributing radio sets to Ugandans to help children learn at home.
*********
URN
