LiA Week 1 - Gyebaleko ssebo, oli otya?
Beyond being nearly the sum total of my Luganda vocabulary (hello sir, how are you?), this phrase has highlighted some of the difficulties that the education sector in Uganda face.
In this first LiA blog (more than a little late), I will focus on the diversity that blesses central Uganda but also poses challenges. Collaboration can help address and overcome some of these.
For context, I am based at a primary school in rural Uganda, around two hours northeast of Kampala, and spending time at the Kampala office of the NGO running the school. Speaking with the staff at the school, and the staff at the office, I have tried to test out my few words of Luganda, the dominant language of central Uganda. However, the most common response has been a laugh, and a “sorry, I’m not Baganda” or “I’m not local!”. While most people living and working in the area speak some Luganda, the Kampala area is a true melting pot of tribes and languages. Over 40 languages are actively used across Uganda, and I’m confident you could find them all in the capital city.
Before arriving, I presumed that English (the official language of Uganda, a hangover of the British rule from 1894 until 1962) would serve as a unifying tongue. English is indeed the language of politics and of big business, but English proficiency is generally low. The education system, with a structured set of exams that roughly mirrors the UK system, is entirely in English. From primary upwards, all schools use English and all exams are in English. While this arguably sets up young Ugandans for a life in Kampala office blocks, the national parliament, or well-paying jobs abroad, many struggle. Teachers are forced to teach in their second or third language, and pupils who speak no English at home must pick up sufficient skills to take every exam in essentially a foreign language.
As part of an effort to support local schools and model effective teaching, the NGO I am working with delivered a phonics workshop for teachers at a Kampala primary school. Using materials and techniques introduce to CRANE by a British teacher, being passed on to Uganda teachers in Kampala, this really lives out the characteristic of collaboration. The adoption of phonics as a teaching/learning method is low here, and the effect is that children learn to read English based on rote memorisation, rather than sound recognition. Hopefully, by collaborating with local schools and introducing new methods, the teaching of literacy will be supported.