Dear brothers and sisters,
I cry with you over the very poor results that our schools in West Nile
produced this past time.
During the conference you are planning to hold, can you also talk about schools
being RUN AS BUSNESS rather than EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS? I think this is one
one of our problems; too many primary schools with no resources feeding already
stressed out good schools we once had. When were young we had students ahead of
us in our schools whom we tried to follow as the continued going to some of the
best junior and seconadary scools. Do we have such students who lead the way
for the rest as examples? Competitiond among our kids has disappeared. Should
we ask ourselves if the students ARE REALLY INTERESTED IN LEARNING or they are
forced to learn?
We should reduce the numbers of these schools and concentrate on a few good
schools which will produce good results. We should go back to old system of
having junior secondary schools, which I think, was a good environment to
PREPARE students to learn to independently study as they were guided for
secondary education. Seven years in primary is not enough for most students.
They most likely could benifit for a two year prep before attemting the more
complecated education ladder. I was shocked to learn that even seconadry scolol
student had very little English understanding. We do not have Lugbara/
Kakwa/Alur/Madi math and science books. Without a very good understanding of
English, our kids have no chance of DOING BETTER. PLEASE STRESS THE IMPORTANCY
of ENGLISH in primary schools by reading in class and writing more in class
because the children do not have time to read at home: LIGHTS!
Briefly, discourage schools opened to collect money rather than educate our
children, close some of the schools which do not produce good students,
student results should be traced back to their primary to asses how good that
primary school is, if possible combine nearby schools and invest the money in
one or two schools to monitor performance. Let us go back to the old school
system which worked for us, including opening voluntary Junior Seondary Schools
to asses if that can produce better candidates for SS schoools and the
universities eventually where some may end up but not necessarily.
Thank you for reading this. I have no teaching back ground nor an
administration knowledge except family issues but like the rest of you who are
reading this article, I went thru the old system. Ombatini Junior Seconadry
School was my way to the Old Good Nyakasura, which has also lost its GLORY of
the sixties.
Adiga Godi.
________________________________
From: Caleb Alaka <[email protected]>
To: A Virtual Network for friends of West Nile <[email protected]>
Cc: A Virtual Network for friends of West Nile <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, March 1, 2013 12:17 AM
Subject: Re: [WestNileNet] A-Level Results WN Results - Pg 8 Monitor
I chanced to read a list containing worse performing schools in the Monitor
News paper today where 89 schools were listed. The bench mark was the number of
'As, Bs, Cs and number of students. Out of 89 schools in the Country in that
category;
• Kings Modern College, Yumbe was number 3 with 0As, 0Bs, 1 C
. Arua Academy number 5, 0As, 0Bs and 4cs.
. Otuambari SS number 8 with no As, Bs and 3Cs
. Warr girls SS at number 31with no As,no Bs and 6Cs
. Ombatini SS at number 38 with no As, 2 Bs and13 Cs
. Moyo SS at number 40 no As, 1 B and 11 Cs
. Nebbi Town Hall at Number 44 with 1 A, 0 B and 4 Cs
. Otravu SS at number 46 with 0 As, 2 Bs and 8 Cs
. Moyo Town SS at number 54 with 0As, 0Bs and 3 Credits
. Arua hall at number 63 no As, 8Bs 12 Cs
. Green Valley College, Yumbe 0As, 2Bs and 4Cs
. Driajin SS at 84 0As, 2 Bs and 4Cs
. Pakwach SS at 86 0As, 1B and 7 Cs
13 of our schools make the list amongst the worst 89 schools in the Country,
Thus we as a subregion have contributed a whooping 16% of Worst performing
schools in the Country. There we go
Sent from my iPhone
On Mar 1, 2013, at 4:37 AM, Vasco Oguzua <[email protected]> wrote:
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 <[email protected]> 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 <[email protected]> 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 <[email protected]> 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 <[email protected]> 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 <[email protected]>
>>>>>To: George Afi Obitre-Gama <[email protected]>; A Virtual Network for
>>>>>friends of West Nile <[email protected]>
>>>>>Cc: A Virtual Network for friends of West Nile <[email protected]>
>>>>>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 <[email protected]>
>>>>>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!!
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
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>
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