BUSOGA: Active learning program registers success as more teachers get training

NAMUTUMBA, UGANDA: Pupils in Namutumba district have testified about the goodness of active learning in primary education after the mode of education was enrolled in their schools. This was revealed by pupils at African Soup Primary School when teachers from Busoga were engaged in the active learning approach last week.

Racheal Kadaga who was admitted in Primary Four last year 2022 at the school located in Nabikabala village Namutumba district realized a very different system of teaching using instructional materials which help in imparting knowledge to the learners.

Kadaga says at first, she felt the system was quite boring since she was used to the traditional way of teaching where learners sat back to listen to the teacher during lesson time, but later grasped the entire process and picked great interest in it.

“There are lessons I previously hated but when it came to using these learning materials I felt it was now very interesting because everyone in the class was fully involved. During the second term while at the school, I managed to improve my performance by being sixth out of 178 pupils in the ranking despite the time I was in Nsinze primary school, a government-aided school,” Kadaga said.

“In my former school I could at times dose while in class but now aim fully engaged in studying using these instructional materials during all lessons,” she added before praising the modern critical active learning that helps pupils get fully involved in the studying process using institutional materials.

Education experts believe that critical active learning skills is the best method of imparting knowledge to pupils in the current century where technology is fast changing.

Dr Emmanuel Humphrey Gusango, an education consultant and the chairperson academic board at African Soup Primary School said critical active learning can help the nation in producing learners who are fully knowledgeable about their environment in case it is conducted right from the nursery level.

“Some students complete senior four but cannot even write a report or even don’t know how the major crops of the country look like. In the modern world now, we are not interested in seeing pupils pass exams but the material achieved for the seven years while at primary level that will be of benefit to them in future,” Dr Gusango said.

Ms Rebecca Mirembe, the director of critical active learning at African Soup Primary School urged teachers in government-aided schools to utilize the natural surrounding within the school environments to put into practice the active learning approach in schools instead of sitting back and waiting for resources from the government.

“Learners are able to ask questions directly to a teacher once they touch on whatever they are learning about for example, fruits, vegetables, crops, among others which is not the case with the traditional way of learning,” Ms Mirembe said.

Ms Caroline Kavuma, a lecturer and head task force at Uganda National Institute for Teacher Education (UNITE) hailed the African Soup organisation for complementing the government’s efforts by pioneering an active learning program.

“It has been slow to roll out the active learning program in all schools across the country due to lack of resources from the government. This is the way to go since the lower secondary level has adapted to using the new abridged curriculum which is also similar to the active learning process,” Ms Kavuma said.

She urged all primary teachers to attain degrees as required by the government under the new teacher policy to ensure that they fit in the current job market.

However, some teachers who talked to the DailyExpress said the critical active learning program might not work in government-aided schools since it requires a lot of resources.

Ms Maimuna Kiiza, a teacher at Kategere primary school in Magada sub-county Namutumba said most government-aided schools have a very big population which necessitates many learning materials which schools can’t afford.

“Yet the natural environment within the school compound which they are saying at times dries up, besides we cannot keep on taking children outside disrupting lessons,” she said.

Mr Bogere Henry, a teacher at Magada primary school said the active learning process in government-aided schools can only be possible in case government increases on funding towards universal primary education grants to help schools in purchasing learning materials.

“All teachers are equipped with skills on how to conduct active learning to their pupils but what is lacking are the tools to be used,” Mr Bogere said.