By Felix Oketcho
The Permanent Secretary Education Service Commission Dr.Asuman Lukwago has urged Ugandan teachers to take advantage of East African Community opportunities and venture outside the country.
Officiating at teacher’s symposium under theme: Copying with Covid 19 and its impact on the education sector, the teacher role at Silvers Springs hotel,Lukwagi said the world has become global place where teachers must be ready to teach anywhere.
“Our teachers must be on the move ahead of globalization. This requires embracing digital teaching methods and travelling across the world to compete for better jobs,” he said.
Lukwago argued that with aftermath of covid 19 pandemic impacts,teachers must adopt new approaches to teaching and learners to survive saying the use of hybrid learning strategies and indulging in the use of ICTs will be inevitable in this era.
“I challenge educators to become role models. Integrate use of ICT and other pedagogies in teacher training so that the teachers can be able to replicate them. I know teachers are struggling to help learners to catch up “with the syllabus after two years of covid lockdown,” he said.
“Copying with covid 19 pandemic and its impacts in the education sector calls for mind set change. It’s important that teacher educators improve themselves with 21st century skills such and flexibility, self-awareness, resilience, creativity and innovativeness. This will help Uganda education system to thrive through post covid times,” Lukwago said.
Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education Ketty Lamaro called for urgent investment in teaching so as to equip teachers with modern teaching skills to be relevant in the changing times.
“There is need to equip teachers with 21st century skills of critical thinking, creativity, innovativeness, collaboration, effective communication, problem solving and technological literacy. these set of competence is necessary to enable teachers respond effectively to the impact of covid in education sector.”
She said Uganda needs digitally competent teaching force to deliver quality education in this era.
She said education is key cornerstone for poverty alleviation and national development, Vision 2040 and Sustainable Development Goal 4 that government believes that every child matters and every child can achieve when they are given quality education hence the need for quality teachers.
Lamaro’s revelation follows Democratic Republic of Congo’s recent entry into EAC.
She alluded to the fact DRC entry opens up opportunities for French and Swahili teachers besides other regional business opportunities teachers should exploit.
In school year 2019/2020 , there were 3.2 million teachers in public schools.
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