I am not an OB of Ombaci, but have keenly been following the discussion
about the issues Mr. Banduga Ismail has brought to the attention of all
Ombaci OB's on this forum. The issue of deteriorating educational standards
of the our kids is really a very serious problem which if not tackled will
have a generational effect on the future generation.
Much as the issues Ismail addresses were mostly related to the
administration of Ombaci Secondary school, I think they are a general
problem in most schools (I mean the declining level of educational
standards). I would concur with Mr. Lulua's submission that perhaps the
declining standards of students performances in Ombaci may not only be
attributed to poor administration alone, but a number of other factors as
well. I do not know what the performance of other schools which used to be
the cream those years, the likes of Nyapea, Koboko, Mvara, Kabalega,
Nyakasura, Teso College (where I was), Lango College, Sam Baker, Tororo
Girls, Mwiri, etc, but what I guess is that these schools are not any far
from Ombaci at this present time. I would base my argument on the products
some of these schools have sent to Makerere, including the likes of Budo,
Gayaza, Kisubi, and some of the new schools from which most of the Makerere
admissions are composed of. I had the opportunity of interacting with some
of these Makerere students and I think they were not any far from the
products from those students from West Nile.
I think the gist of low standards in secondary schools is the very poor
elementary or primary school standards. I think though the UPE was a
brilliant idea, its implementation has been a total failure. Secondary
schools can only inherit the poor students they absorb from primary
schools. You can not expect to get better students in secondary schools
when they were infact poor students in primary schools. Look at the quality
of teachers at the primary schools. Most of the people who go to teachers
college these days are students who have failed in their O levels. How can
you expect such people to turn to be good teachers and bring out bright
students. In our years students who went to teachers college were bright
students whose parents could not afford to pay their school fees in
secondary schools and these people after their training came back and
became great primary school teachers.
The situation of teachers is another factor to consider. Realistically with
the current economic woes how can you expect teachers to be motivated in
their occupations when what they make cannot even push them for a week as
many also have families to care about.
The infrastructure in schools such teachers accommodation, scholastic
materials, classrooms, etc are in most schools lacking. The parents are
also another factor to consider in this equation, most parents from my
observation have given up on their kids because most think it is the
responsibility of schools to mould their children. Most parents of this
generation were those during Armin's regime where joining the army was the
only thing people looked up to, Now 30 years back, you can see some of the
impact because a good number of these parents never realised the importance
of education as such they really do not have much to offer to their
children in terms of education. The students themselves are also another
factor. In the village if you observe how students go to school in the
morning, you can never see an urgency of students wishing to arrive in
time. But if you can observe how these students rush to the local video
centres, you will think that the students are rushing for something which
if they do not get they will die. Moreover these students are in these
video stores or dancing halls till the wee hours of the morning and the
parents cannot even say anything, If they did the students begin to calling
for their rights and child abuse. The idea of promoting students to next
class without proper evaluation of their understanding level of the subject
matter content has to stop and teaching only to pass exams is another
blunder I see in most schools. Interestingly most of these students write
their exams in English, but they can hardly write or speak a good English
sentences. can you imagine what these students write in their exams which
are all in English!!
It may appear like I am exaggerating, but these are some of the things I
have observed right in the village let alone the urban centres.
As Lulua has put it correctly, it is difficult to put a finger at only one
factor as the cause of the decline of the standards of the performance in
our schools that otherwise used to produce excellent results. This problem
needs to be looked at a wider perspective because their are all intertwined
and interrelated. We truly have a such a big challenge to tackle. A change
of government and a change in education policies may be the right place to
start so that we have to move in a complete different direction in terms of
how issues related to education are viewed.
Corruption and Corruption, especially in the lucrative UPE and USE has to
be addressed in a serious way without mercy if the education quality has to
improve in the whole country.
Vasco
On Wed, Feb 1, 2012 at 11:42 AM, Lulua Godfrey <golu...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Dear all
>
> Its my first time to comment on a particular issue on this platform.
>
> The issue you people are raising on Ombachi is good but let us broaden it
> abit. Firstly, is the problem (bad leadership) limited to Ombachi or it is
> bigger? For example, how are the following schools which were once popular
> for good performances doing now? Koboko, Nyapea, Mvara, Layibi,Teso College
> Aloet, Mwiri, Nyakasura,Nabumali, Kigezi College,Namasagali among others.
> Believe me, these schools are not doing any better now.
>
> Secondly, how many pupils in the recently released PLE results passed in
> Division one for Ombachi to admit for a good performance in O`level? Lets
> also compare the performances of the primary schools we went to then and
> now. In all the above cases you will realise that things have been slowly
> and steadily going bad!!!
>
> Ombachi may have those problem but the bigger share of the problems should
> be attributed the Government of today period. There is a trend to justify
> that. May be its just Government "policy" to let schools perform that way.
>
> Way forward, COME 2016, WE UNITE FOR GOOD CHANGE then the rest of the
> things will improve.
>
> Godfrey
>
> ------------------------------
> *From:* Sunday Akile <akile...@yahoo.com>
>
> *To:* A Virtual Network for friends of West Nile <westnilenet@kym.net>
> *Sent:* Wednesday, 1 February 2012, 6:20
> *Subject:* Re: [WestNileNet] {Disarmed} Re: Our Schools, performances and
> management
>
> I entirely concur with Richard.
>
> Akile Sunday
>
> --- On *Wed, 2/1/12, Okuti Richard <ok...@asili.co.ug>* wrote:
>
>
> From: Okuti Richard <ok...@asili.co.ug>
> Subject: [WestNileNet] {Disarmed} Re: Our Schools, performances and
> management
> To: westnilenet@kym.net
> Date: Wednesday, February 1, 2012, 2:48 AM
>
>
> Dear all,
>
> Reference is made to Mr. Banduga's concerns and the subsequent response by
> our representative in the BOG on Ombaci. The OB's are generally at an
> extreme level of concern and are taking very large strides to support the
> school in reviving academic exellence among other desciplines.
>
> Quite a lot of effort is on going among the leadership of Ombaci OB's and
> at an appropriate time our communication responsible will share information
> to that effect. However that not withstanding I would like to encourage all
> OB's to contact me (e-Responsible) to be added to the mailing list (kindly
> send the email to me privately not through the mailing list).
>
> Lastly we actually have associate OB's and other partners that are
> ussually included into the OB association by the Central Executive Committe
> and you are free to again send mail personally to Eng. Albert Orijabo for
> that kind of participation.
>
> Kind regards
>
>
> Richard
>
> On 01/02/2012 11:12, Sunday Akile wrote:
>
> Hello Ismail,
>
> Your concern is noted. Over the weekend the ombaci BOG to which i am a
> member sat and deliberated on a number of issues of which i am not privy to
> share on this wider forum but i posted what transpired at the sitting on
> the Ombaci forum (Group e-mail). You should have seen it if you are a
> member of that group e-mail. But if you are not, then i am going to forward
> the same to your personal e-mail account.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Akile Sunday
>
> --- On *Tue, 1/31/12, banduga ismail <bani...@yahoo.co.uk>* wrote:
>
>
> From: banduga ismail <bani...@yahoo.co.uk>
> Subject: Re: [WestNileNet] Our Schools, performances and management
> To: "A Virtual Network for friends of West Nile" <westnilenet@kym.net>
> Date: Tuesday, January 31, 2012, 11:16 PM
>
> Dear all,
>
> Recently we show the departure of one of celebrated education managers,
> late Abiriga. We are all aware that from since he tired, the standard and
> performance of that school (st. Josephs' College, Ombachi) has been
> deterioting. This to me, and I believe to many of you clearly shows the
> relationship between good management/administration and performance
> (academics, behavior, morals).
>
> When his successor, Mr. Juruga Augustine also retired, the Ministry did
> not send a substantive head teacher to the school. Two deputies were
> instead sent there by the Ministry. On the wisdom of the then BOG, one of
> the two deputies, Mr. Akuma was then appointed as the head teacher. Many of
> us have been following up events in the school and have discussed some of
> the negative points either on this forum or in phone in view of finding
> corrective measures.
>
> Some of the pronounced shortcomings of Mr. Akuma as noted by many
> including the teachers in the school have been the following:
>
> 1. Establishing, sustaining and working through a clique - it is
> reported that he has established a clique from among the teachers and
> visibly prefers to work through this clique. This has created an
> environment of suspicion among the teachers.
> 2. Being conspicuously absent from school most of the time - it is
> reported that he is not at school most of the time and seems to have frozen
> the working of systems during his absence. This is exemplified by
> incidences where nothing moves when he is absent and when the deputies or
> other heads of departments initiate any transactions (financial or non
> financial), it is challenged by some of the executors, notably the
> bursar, caterer etc
> 3. Not cooperating with his deputy head teacher and other heads of
> departments - it is reported that the deputy head teacher, posted by the
> Ministry is very frustrtrated and contemplating seeking transfer way from
> Ombachi due to the poor working relationship between him and the Mr. Akuma.
>
> In the recent transfer announcements by the ministry, Akuma has been
> transfered to some school in Lango region. I am told he is working out ways
> of reversing the transfer and is using some BOG and PTA members to do that.
> As OBs, Parents and wellwishers, we have representation in those bodies and
> have a stake in what happens in the school. Members of this forum are
> working hard to ensure performance of our schools improve sooner than
> later. With the shortcomings noted of Mr. Akuma above, I do not think it is
> wise for us to keep quite and let him do what he wants to do to remain a
> head teacher or deputy in the school, hence my thoughts. I would like
> Akile, the OBs representative on BOG and the executive of the OBs
> association to take this matter seriously. It is better Akuma is out of
> Ombachi if our dream to see sanity and high performance is to be realized.
> This is my take. What do you say?
>
> Ismail
> -----------------------------
>
> ------------------------------
> *From:* Charles Dra-ecabo <draec...@hotmail.com>
> *To:* West Nile <westnilenet@kym.net>
> *Sent:* Tuesday, 31 January 2012, 16:27
> *Subject:* Re: [WestNileNet] Death Announcement!
>
> This is very tragic and sad indeed. May the good Lord give the family
> of the deceased strength and comfort them during this difficult moment and
> may the soul of little angel RIP.
>
> Charles
> ------------------------------
> Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:11:11 -0800
> From: cadraga2...@yahoo.com
> To: westnilenet@kym.net
> Subject: Re: [WestNileNet] Death Announcement!
>
> This is really sad indeed,any other arrangements in Kampala will be
> posted ASAP,May Lord rest her soul in eternal peace
>
> --- On *Tue, 1/31/12, aggrey adrale <fetagrey2...@yahoo.co.uk>* wrote:
>
>
> From: aggrey adrale <fetagrey2...@yahoo.co.uk>
> Subject: [WestNileNet] Death Announcement!
> To: "A Virtual Network for friends of West Nile" <westnilenet@kym.net>
> Date: Tuesday, January 31, 2012, 12:04 AM
>
> Dear Members,
>
> On a sad note, I have just received a call from Ms. Doris Adebo (Okua)
> from India that their daughter, Aleni Freda, passed on having been flown
> there for a heart surgery.
>
> Prayers, words of encouragement and any support to the family are very
> much needed at this time as the family is struggling with arrangements to
> transport the body from India to Uganda.
>
> Doris can be reached on +918586892883.
>
> Any developments will be posted on this net.
>
> May her soul rest in eternal peace.
>
> Aggrey Adrale
>
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