14 September 2008
editorial
Kampala — The Ministry of Education has over the past few weeks been carrying out a crackdown on schools and teachers engaged in conducting lessons during the holidays (coaching).
The ministry has warned that teachers found involved in the practice would be dismissed and their licences revoked.
The ministry argues that coaching students during holidays is against the established guidelines. It further argues that children need a break from classes and, therefore, coaching merely undermines the children.
The education ministry has been grappling with the problem of coaching in schools for a longtime. But it is obvious that the problem, far from being controlled, is escalating. The reasons are many. First, teachers are increasingly under pressure to ensure that their schools excel in order to join top higher schools or, in case of 'A' level, get government sponsorship at public universities. Headteachers, particularly of primary schools, are being threatened with dismissal for poor performance of their pupils in Primary Leaving Examinations.
Coaching in schools is also driven by monetary gain on the part of the teachers. Many teachers conduct holiday classes clandestinely - even in awkward places like car garages in order to make some money. Parents are also fuelling the practice by pressurising teachers to coach their children. Rich parents hire teachers to coach their children from their residences.
In effect, the ministry's crackdown against coaching, though well intentioned, is a futile exercise. The ministry needs to address the core issues on which coaching thrive. Improving the welfare of teachers is crucial.
It is imperative to improve facilities and standards of the schools, as well as making higher education accessible or affordable for the average Ugandan. A combination of these measures will render coaching irrelevant.
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