Government roots for quality education in refugee schools

The State Minister for Primary Education, Joyce Moriku Kaducu has said equipping the teachers with appropriate learner centred pedagogical skills will provide good strategies for quality delivery for refugee children in Uganda.

The minister also tasked all school head teachers and teachers at all levels to fight hard and end teenage and early pregnancies among school-going children.

Kaducu made the remarks at the pass out of the 33 teachers in the first cohort who have completed six months training at Canon Apollo Core PTC in Kabarole district.

"As a ministry, we have noted with great concern the emotional, social and psychological challenges that our learners and parents went through when schools were closed due to Covid-19. This was even worse for our refugee children," said Kaducu.

The Ministry of Education and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) have kicked off training teachers in refugee-hosting communities.

The teachers from Kyangwali, Kyaka II Rwamwanja, Bidi Bidi, and Nakivale resettlement camps are being taught psychosocial support, life skills, and ICT skills.

Kaducu said being with teachers on such occasions of training is always special because teachers are the ‘torch bearer’ into the path of quality education for the children, country and the world at large.

"As many of us may be aware, Uganda now hosts the largest number of refugees across Africa, about 1.5M from DRC, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia and Eritrea. Uganda’s education policy and plans (including the Education Response Plan of 2018 provide an example and step forward for the holistic and integrated education support to refugees," she said.

She said Uganda’s education policy affirms that education is a right for all irrespective of one’s legal status, origin, sex or religion and whether one is a Ugandan or a refugee.

The training is part of the agreed policies by IGAD member states in March 2017 to implement the Djibouti declaration policies.

The policies focus on formulating acceptable means of supporting refugees in the region through total integration by the host communities by giving them a chance to attain quality education, job opportunities, quality health care among other privileges.