Uwezo Uganda Participates at the 4th Annual National Literacy Conference in Kampala, Uganda

Above: Minister of state for primary education (in a long dress) in a group photo. To her left is the patron of the Reading Association of Uganda Mrs Loy Tumusiime and to the minister’s right is Mary Goretti Nakabugo of Twaweza.

Uwezo Uganda participated at the 4th Annual Literacy Conference held on the 20th – 21st of July 2016. The event was organized by the Reading Association of Uganda (RAU) and presided over by the Minister of Education and Sports, Mrs. Janet Museveni (represented by the State Minister of Primary Education, Hon. Nansubuga Rosemary Senninde). The annual event, brought together key stakeholders to discuss what they were doing to improve literacy, the challenges faced and the way forward. They included over 300 participants from the Ministry of Education, district officials, university lecturers, principals and tutors from teacher training colleges, teachers and head teachers, practitioners from Education related NGOs, primary going children and the media.

In her speech, Mrs. Janet Museveni emphasized that for Sustainable Development to be achieved, the Government had to invest in its children so that they could at least read and write. She added that Twaweza Reports had enabled the government to realize such issues and quoted Uwezo’s findings that indicated that 3 out of 10 Primary children in Uganda could not read or count at Primary 2 Level. The Minister wondered how Uganda could move into a middle-income country when much of its citizenry was illiterate. Mrs. Museveni added that the government was prioritizing the promotion of quality education by rolling out the thematic curriculum, improving pupil assessment and ensuring adequate recruitment and performance of qualified teachers.

Keynote speaker, Robert Kabushenga, CEO, Vision Group and also a member of Twaweza’s Governing Board faulted parents for the poor reading culture in the country. Citing the World Health Organization (WHO) statistics, Kabushenga said to be intellectually healthy; one had to read at least 12 good books every year and that the ability to read and write changed the quality of people’s lives.

Twaweza’s Uwezo Uganda was a key participant at the event. It exhibited the organization’s materials including learning assessment reports, test booklets, survey booklets, calendars, samples of academic publications drawing from Uwezo work etc. Uwezo Uganda also participated in a panel discussion and chaired a workshop at the event. Dr. Mary Goretti Nakabugo, Uwezo Uganda’s Country Coordinator, emphasized the importance of using data to drive improvements in literacy.

In her closing remarks, Dr. Nakabugo stated that the strength of the event lay on the fact that it had put children’s learning at the center of discussion. She reiterated Twaweza’s commitment to partnerships that focused on learning outcomes especially beginning with the foundations of reading and counting as building blocks for higher learning.

Above: Judith Nakayima giving information about Uwezo and Twaweza materials to participants who visited our stall

For More on  Twaweza/Uwezo’s Participation at the 4th Annual National Literacy Conference – Read the Brief – Here.