Michael J. Ssali
27 June 2009
One of the biggest challenges our schools face especially in rural areas is creating a reading culture among students. Books are quite expensive and very few schools, if any, have well-stocked libraries.
In most cases, the head teacher keeps a cupboard in his or her office where some text books are kept usually for only the teachers to use for reference.
The teachers then write notes on the blackboard for the students to copy in their notebooks. English is still the medium of instruction particularly in secondary schools and higher institutions of learning and the students who are not fluent in the language have tended not to perform well academically.
English teachers too have often complained that they find it hard to teach the language, especially Literature in English to students who are not well-grounded in the reading culture. One quick way of learning a language is reading widely in that language.
A good school is much more than just a beautiful compound and attractive buildings. It should have plenty of books and a well-stocked library to which the students regularly go to further enrich the knowledge provided to them in the classroom. The library should have other books to refer to after the students have seen what the text books in the classroom contain.
Salama Shield Foundation (SSF), an international NGO that has been involved in development work for 12 years in what is today Lyantonde District, is working on building a reading culture in the 50 or so schools of the rural district.
On June 13, 2009, a truck delivered more than 20,000 books, hundreds of science teaching equipment, sports bikes and other sports equipment to Lyantonde Community Development Centre. SSF runs the Community Development Centre and already has a fairly well-stocked community library.
"We carried out research among the teachers in the various schools," said Mr Kenneth Barigye Mugabo, SSF Country Representative, adding, "And they all said they had no books for students to read, especially science books, general knowledge books, and novels. SSF Chief Executive Officer, Dr Dennis Williams then requested the Rotary Club of Hamilton A. M and the Waterloo School Board in Canada to donate some." Barigye said the books were collected from schools and members of the local community in Canada. The Rotary Club of Hamilton A. M and Kampala Rotary Club paid for the transportation of the books from Canada to Lyantonde.
"We intend to distribute the books and equipment to all the schools in the district, primary, secondary, government-aided, private, registered or unregistered," Mr Barigye said. "We may also give some to neighbouring schools where some of the students here go."
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