SPEECH BY THE HON.

MINISTER OF STATE FOR PRIMARY EDUCATION ON THE

OCCASION OF RECEIVING MOTORYCLES FROM UNICEF, 29THMARCH 2010

On behalf of the Government of Uganda and the Ministry of Education and Sports, I am

indeed very happy to be here to preside over this function where the Ministry is

receiving motorcycles from UNICEF to support the work of the Centre Coordinating

Tutors in the Core Prim'ary Teachers Colleges.

You are all aware that the Teacher Development and Management System (TOMS)

was established with the main objective of improving the quality of Primary Education in

Uganda. It has indeed been a very successful system, but one of its main challenges

h~ been the provision of transport to enable the Coordinating Center Tutors (CCTs)

move and support the teachers in the Primary Schools. We are grateful for this support

from UNICEF which is timely and is also a great relief.

The mandate and fundamental role of Primary Teachers' Colleges (PTCs) in mo

ulding the primary school teacher is critical since these teachers handle the very

foundation of our society. To ensure that nothing goes wrong at this stage in our

education system, adequate investment therefore must be provided in making the

desired quality of teachers.

One of the Education for All (EFA) goals is to ensure that the learning needs of all

young people and adults are met through equitable access to appropriate learning and

life skills programmes. The teachers are the ones to make this happen. It is therefore,

important that tutors in prcs are sufficiently facilitated to enable them to do their work

effectively.

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I would like to thank UNICEF in a special way for supporting the Ministry of Education

and Sports in a number of TOMS programmes in both PTCs and Primary Schools within

their catchment areas. In addition to the donation we are receiving today, UNICEF has

funded several capacity building activities within the Ministry of Education and Sports

and has supported development of several materials to enhance quality in Primary

Education, including the Customized Performance Targets (CPTs).

Government recognizes the fact that Primary Education is one of the most effective

investments, not only in making people more productive and socially aware but also in

the attainment of other societal and social benefits. Primary Education and Teacher

Training therefore, remain at the fore front of the NRM Government's priority

commitments.

The introduction of UPE in 1997, led to rapid increase in the enrolment from 2 million in

1997 to over 7 million to-dates. This increase in enrolment has given rise to a number

of challenges; key among which is the demand for qualified teachers to improve the

quality of education.

I wish to appeal to you Principals to utilize this donation of motorcycles to improve the

quality of education in primary schools of your catchment areas. This is your

responsibility. The quality of the teachers you produce directly impacts on the

performance of the pupils in primary schools. Now that you have received the means of

transport to facilitate you to move and provide support to the Primary School teachers, I

expect commitment and hard work so as to achieve better results in primary schools. I

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implore you to be more diligent in the execution of your duties in order for Uganda to

realize improvement in the quality of the education we offer.

Finally, I would like to congratulate the Colleges that have benefited from this offer. It is

now your turn to prove that lack of transport has been a hindrance to your work and now

you can show the difference. It is our prayer that you do the work as expected and

please use the motorcycles for the purpose for which they have been provided.

Once again, on behalf of the Government of Uganda, the Ministry of Education and

Sports, and on my own behalf, I thank UNICEF for the support and pledge our

commitment to continued collaboration as we work together to improve the quality of

education in Uganda.

For God and my Country