On 27th February 2018, the Principal College of Education and External Studies Prof. Fred Masagazi Masaazi handed out results for Early Childhood Development Teacher Education (ECD) Examination 2017 to Dr. Cleophus Mugenyi, the Commissioner of DES (Department of Education Standards) Ministry of Education and Sports, Uganda
Dr. Kabugo David the Coordinator for Centre of Teaching and Learning Support, College of Education and External Studies stressed that liberalization of Education provision opened doors for private proprietors to participate in education provision and this come with issues of quality, to ensure quality the Ministry of Education and Sports through its Department of Education Standard sets minimum standards which private proprietors must meet, among the standards is that for a private proprietor to engage in provision to ECD Teacher Education must be affiliated to a public university and this is the reason for today’s event
Makerere University as a public university engaged in teacher education, College of Education and External Studies through its Centre for Teaching and Learning Support is collaborating with more than 227 ECD teacher training Institution, the role of universities is in guiding Early Childhood Teacher Training Institutions and more so in examination of ECD certification.
Dr. Kabugo David reported on Student Teacher Trainees achievement in ECD studies that Makerere University Coordinates. He report that in 2017, Makerere University, College Of Education and External Studies collaborated with 227 private proprietors and we examined 8285 ECD teacher Trainees in the country. We are working within regions; there are 9 regions in Uganda and each region with a coordinator. The Programme coordinated at ECD level are; 1) Certificated in Childcare (CC), 1906 trainees were examined, 2) Certificate Early Childhood I (CEC I), 3926 teacher trainees were examined, 3) Certificate in Early Childhood II (CEC II), 2460 were examined
The Coordinator for Centre for Teaching and Learning Support also reported that ECD examination 2017 were marked using a conveyor system, it was also noted that out of the 9 region, western region did not perform well, Trainees in the Central Regions Outperformed the rest of the regions in all subjects at all levels, best done subject in each program at Child Care was Positive Guidance and counselling, CEC I was Child Development, CECII was Child Health and nutrition.
Also noted with concern that the worse done subject in each programme; in Child Care program was introduction to early Child development, Childhood Development year one was Teaching Mathematics to young Children, worse done subject in year two was Language teaching and Development. Dr. Kabugo said that this was not good either given that even at the recent release of 2017 UCE result; failure was attributed to language failure.
The Centre for Teaching and Learning Support also note with concern that several ECD Teacher Institution do not do continuous assessments inform of course works, tests and examination and where it is done it lacks quality standards and done half hazard, it was also noted that most of ECD Teacher Training Institution Lacks qualified tutors, it was also noted that many ECD Teacher Institutions employ Primary and Secondary Teachers. He also noted that ECD Tutors do not have a transit to a diploma level to allow tutors to professionally grow
Dr. Cleophus Mugenyi, the Commissioner of DES (Department of Education Standards) Ministry of Education and Sports, Uganda in his speech didn't refute Dr. David Kabugo research report findings. He agreed that what Dr. Kabugo David had reported was also reflected in the Ministry of Education and Sports annual report of 2016/2017. He congratulated the CEES for having successfully conducted the ECD 2017 Examination without any examination mulpractices. He stressed that we need more research dissemination in the areas of ECD and was happy to hear that Makerere University was going to disseminate research findings in Early Childhood Development
The Principal College of Education and External Studies Prof. Fred Masagazi Masaazi pointed out that Teacher education is a vital sector in Education environment saying that it is at stage where we improve the education system, the quality of Education and where we get a problem in the Early Childhood Education, we are likely to get a problem in the Education Sector. He called on the Ministry of Education to take Early Childhood Teacher Education as very important area in the education sector and in improving the quality of education in our country
He further said that Mak_CEES is looking forward to work with the Ministry of Education and Sports in Early Childhood Development (ECD) Teacher Education and in other areas of Teacher Education. He informed the Ministry officials that MAK-CEES has already moved a step in the area of Early Childhood Development Teacher Education by developing a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education and Development at undergraduate level and at graduate level a Master of Education (Option on Early Childhood Education and Development) but still with Nation Council for Higher Education (NCHE) and finally a Doctoral Of Philosophy in ECD
Ms Elizabeth Kisakye from the Ministry of Education and Sports, department of Teacher Instructor Education and Training (TIET), thanked Makerere University for taking up the role of streamlining ECD Teacher Education. She asked for more research to be done in the area of ECD, thanked Makerere for having organised the a public release of the ECD Examination 2017 for the first time in Uganda
Dr. Anthony Muwagga Mugagga, Associate Professor, the Director Institute of Education Research, ECD project head said that this was a very interesting occasion, the first of its kind in Makerere University since the inception of the ECD collaboration with different ECD teacher institution; we had never had a public release of the ECD Examination results. He thanked the CEES principal for supporting ECD initiative and also thanked the Ministry of Education and Sports for supporting collaborating of CEES. He pointed out that now his role is to desiminate research about Early Child Development (ECD)
