Brothers and Sisters, It is really amazing to read all the emotional reaction sons and daughters of West Nile have expressed due to the mediocre results in all fronts of the education establishments in West Nile (both at primary and secondary (O-Level and A-Level). I believe almost everyone who has contributed in this reaction has expressed shock, anger, frustration and a sense of disillusion with the current status of education in West Nile. Many of you have presented a historical perspective of education in West Nile and have viewed the current situation with the lens of the historical glory which schools in West Nile enjoyed. Let us try to forget about how schools in West Nile performed in the past and look at why education has become what it now in West Nile where we are cursing and rubbing our nose with anger. The reasons are many and we as the people discussing this issue here are a part of the problem. We have been talking about education since 2009 and up to now we are still talking and nothing has changed. The OB and OG organizations have tried and the situation has remained the same. Willy Ngaka, in my view has hit the heart of this issue - our basic primary education is at the centre of this problem.If we want education in West Nile to improve, that must be where to begin. I know there are so many other factors that are contributing factors, but I believe whatever solutions we arrive at to address our dilapidated educational standards must begin with the resuscitation of basic primary education.
John, Ejiku and others mentioned The Education Task Force that we established in 2010. That was the first serious task West Nile Foundation was tasked to tackle, what happened to the task force since then. I believe this is the sense of doubt Robert expressed - we start projects which we never follow through. We have discussed so many issues affecting our region on this forum and nothing tangible has ever come out of these discussions. My wonder is while the conference which everyone seems to talk about is an excellent idea, what will be different about this conference from all the other ideas and issues we have discussed before. I sometimes wonder why when we have projects that involve social evenings where there is drinking and dancing, they seem to be very successful but when we have projects that address real life problems that affect we as a people we miserably fail to see it through. Not that I am against the suggestion of the conference, but I would like emphasize and challenge us on our ability to find solutions to our problems and stick to addressing the problem however difficult the problem may be. Especially this education issue should be something we should try to find simple doable solutions and we begin addressing with the idea of beginning small and we build on what we have started over time. I bet if we had continued with the education task force up to this time, I am sure that we would by this time be able to point at some thing we have done to change the situation. The conference in my view should happen, but needs to be held preferably somewhere in West Nile so that all the stakeholders in West Nile have the opportunity to participate and contribute, School administrators, school management administrators, local administrative official, church leaders, parents, students need to be invited in such a conference so that we get input from every stakeholder, I would like to suggest that a Committee of 10 -12 people be chosen to conduct hearings in each districts and a conference is organized to present the result of the hearings, and resolutions adopted during the conference form the basis of the actions or solutions geared towards addressing the education problem. I am aware that this is not an easy task, but if we work as a team with a common purpose, we shall not fail. Failing to try can not be the answer. Thanks, Vasco On Thu, Feb 28, 2013 at 10:15 AM, Caleb Alaka <calebal...@yahoo.com> wrote: > Welcome Dr. Willy Ngaka. Thanks for your views and thank you and Winnie > for volunteering on the Committee > > Sent from my iPhone > > On Feb 28, 2013, at 12:16 PM, Willy Ngaka <wng...@gmail.com> wrote: > > Dear Caleb and members in this forum, > > > > Permit me to extend my sincere apologies for being silent for a long time. > I was sick and had to undergo a surgical procedure in Mombasa in December > 2012 and now just getting better. Thanks to you all for your prayers. > During this time, I had limited access to internet and missed many things. > However, this will be history in the next 10 or so months as I have now > embarked on an intercontinental postdoctoral research programme, courtesy > of the University of KwaZulu-Natal in which I will have the > facilities/technologies to meaningfully engage with members, time > permitting. > > > > Well, members I must say I am feeling the pain from these yearly results > more than any of you. I vividly recall the 1970s when Ombaderuko Primary > School I completed from would give 50 – 70 candidates in Grade I and saw > this trend declining to a level that in my own year, only two of us made it > to Grade I out of over 100 candidates. I also had an unimagined opportunity > to join Kabalega SS which those days was one of the academic giants/stars > in the Country and during my year only 4 of us out of 120 candidate still > made to Grade 1. Caleb, your understanding of the whole matter in terms > of a complicated surgery, pains me even more because I just came out of it > and know what it means. > > > > I ask myself, have we all exhausted the options at our disposal? What > level of commitment have we exhibited to tackle this matter? I remember > when I informed the net/forum about my graduation in 2010, it generated a > list of all PhD holders in the region, the question I still ask is: where > are we/they? In terms of human resources, I strongly believe West Nile is > well endowed. Why are they sighing away from this noble responsibility? > Caleb, I totally buy the idea of convening a stakeholders meeting and I > would gladly volunteer to be a member in the organizing team. I thought the > Education Committee we had should have been the right unit in the forum to > spearhead this. If there is anything that you think I can contribute > towards this regional convention, kindly let me know. I am genuinely > committed this cause because I feel we can change the statuesquo and also > because “I even managed to make it to where I am, and why not them” Our > younger generation in the region can do better with our support, guidance > and leadership. > > > > One thing that keeps bothering me is the issue of language policy in this > country. It has consequences for literacy and numeracy learning at lower > levels and impacts badly on our children if we sit and just watch. The > World Bank argues that to progress to a second language, one needs to be > fluent in his/her mother tongue. To what extent have we, as members of this > forum, considered the lack those simple reading story books Like “Ondia pi > Draru be” we used to read those days as a contributory factor in worsening > PLE results in our region? Why do I say this? Just because I no longer see > them and those that are coming up are written by “the Bashabes” with > questionable Lugara. I think we have many professional Language teachers, > the district has even a Language Board, and there are some people like me > who would like to volunteer and do something towards addressing the > challenge of revitalizing, Lugbara, developing, enriching and on a > sustainable and promoting it on sustainable basis as other ethnic groups > do. Our Lugbara should not die. One of the root causes of poor performance > in Primary which lays foundation for subsequent levels of education has to > do with the fact that pupils these days leave primary level of education > without the required reading, writing and numerical skills. We need to > address this squarely in the context of the current thematic curriculum > teaching in which mother tongue or one’s first language is a cruel factor. > > > > From 2011 – 2012, myself, Francis Enjata from St. Joseph’s College, Ombaci > by then, Jasindo Afebu from Micu Primary School and Mrs Christine Debo, the > Deputy Speaker of Arua District Local Government sat under the LETTER > Project, sat together through series of workshops and wrote four bilingual > story books which New Readers Project of the University of KwaZulu Natal is > finalizing. At an appropriate time, I would invite interested members to > view the books and see their worth for our new readers and consider mass > production for distribution to our primary schools and community libraries > I have set up in the region. To motivate literacy and numeracy learners we > also need to consider introducing our rural folks to ICTs. Look at an > example of a photo I took in Otravu Primary School when we visited our > community library there with a mobile computer laboratory from our partner > Maendelo Foundation which can be accessed through this link: > http://www.elearning-africa.com/photo_competition_home.php On the page > you will see two options: SUBMIT Or VOTE. Click on the vote and look for a > photo with the capitation *“Computers excite and motivate > intergenerational literacy learners in a rural school*”. It is probably > the 8th or 9th photo in the group. If you do not mind members, give the > region your vote because these are things we would like to promote to > address some of the problems we are talking about. > > > > I am sorry for the long post, but I think the end justifies the means. > > > > Willy* * > > > On Thu, Feb 28, 2013 at 11:26 AM, Caleb Alaka <calebal...@gmail.com>wrote: > >> Ismail, I think this convention will assist to bring us at par with all >> the actors, there are many questions which need answers, there is need to >> measure the feeling and pain of all actors. If members agree, we can move >> to the next step >> >> Sent from my iPhone >> >> On Feb 28, 2013, at 11:21 AM, banduga ismail <bani...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote: >> >> Members, >> >> Lets try to implement this proposal, CONVENE A STAKEHOLDERS MEETING AND >> ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. It pains when other schools post the best candidates as >> scoring 25 points and our schools post 17, other post pass rates above 80% >> and ours less than 50%. >> >> ------------------------------ >> *From:* Caleb Alaka <calebal...@yahoo.com> >> *To:* George Afi Obitre-Gama <gobi...@yahoo.com>; A Virtual Network for >> friends of West Nile <westnilenet@kym.net> >> *Cc:* A Virtual Network for friends of West Nile <westnilenet@kym.net> >> *Sent:* Thursday, 28 February 2013, 10:49 >> *Subject:* Re: [WestNileNet] A-Level Results WN Results - Pg 8 Monitor >> >> Dear Gordon and good people, we have been through this year in and year >> out, when UNEB announces results at any level, every time, I feel like a >> person awaiting the outcome of a complicated surgery. There is that moment >> when the silence of a Doctor emerging from the theater tells the story. >> Question is do the Local Authorities feel this pain as much as we do, Are >> school administrators saddened by failure rate the way we are. If a head >> master has the guts to refer a senior, prominent and influential person or >> citizen who is an OB to a school to the Deputy in charge of academics to >> answer a simple query, does that not speak volumes about the attitude of >> School Administrators about education in our schools. It is frustrating. In >> some districts, Local Authorities punish head teachers whose schools enjoy >> mediocrity. SHOULD WE CONVEN A STAKE HOLDERS meeting in Arua involving all >> head teachers, political leaders, Civil Servants, Parents, Students, >> religious leaders, business and opinion leaders, academics and elders and >> prominent sons and daughters of the region in other words representatives >> of the above class and come up with a lasting solution to the educational >> malaise in our region. We need such a convention in West Nile >> >> Sent from my iPhone >> >> On Feb 28, 2013, at 8:11 AM, George Afi Obitre-Gama <gobi...@yahoo.com> >> wrote: >> >> Brethren, >> >> I have gone through the today's Monitor list(pg 8) of A-level rankings >> one by one(1-273) without seeing our prominent schools in West Nile apart >> from Mvara SS which is ranked a whooping no. 187!!! I don't see Ombaci, >> Muni, Nyapea and others and they happen not be listed - probably my eyes >> are getting old!! >> >> Tabu Butagira should probably clarify if another list exists - otherwise >> I see the performance as already pathetic not withstanding the fact that >> the best P7 Pupil in West Nile got an agg 7. >> >> I am very angry and annoyed. What is happening? Are we not engaging our >> youngsters enough!! >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> WestNileNet mailing list >> WestNileNet@kym.net >> http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet >> >> WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ >> >> The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including >> attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way. >> _______________________________________________ >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> WestNileNet mailing list >> WestNileNet@kym.net >> http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet >> >> WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ >> >> The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including >> attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way. >> _______________________________________________ >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> WestNileNet mailing list >> WestNileNet@kym.net >> http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet >> >> WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ >> >> The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including >> attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way. >> _______________________________________________ >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> WestNileNet mailing list >> WestNileNet@kym.net >> http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet >> >> WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ >> >> The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including >> attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way. >> _______________________________________________ >> >> > _______________________________________________ > WestNileNet mailing list > WestNileNet@kym.net > http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet > > WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ > > The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including > attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way. > _______________________________________________ > > > _______________________________________________ > WestNileNet mailing list > WestNileNet@kym.net > http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet > > WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ > > The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including > attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way. > _______________________________________________ > >
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