Guidelines for the Implementation of the Roles and Responsibilities of the Senior Women and Senior Men Teachers in Uganda

Abstract

The Ministry of Education and Sports (MOES) is mandated to provide quality and equitable education to all people of Uganda. The Education Act (2008) has given effect to policy reforms geared towards provision of quality education and training in addition to addressing the emerging challenges confronting the system. The Education Sector Strategic Plan (2017/18-2019/20) commits to support, guide, coordinate, regulate and promote the delivery of quality education to all Persons, while the Gender in Education Sector Policy (2016) and the Gender in Education Strategic Plan (2015-2020) are intended to guide effective mainstreaming of gender throughout the Education Sector. In spite of these commitments, barriers exist to attainment of the Sector's medium and long-term aspirations. A review of the MOES National Strategy for Girls Education (2019) highlighted key challenges for attainment of the desired education outcomes for boys and girls that included among others; the low survival rates to Primary 7 reported at 31.7% for boys and 32.7% for girls. Other challenges included high school dropout rates for girls due to household poverty, negative cultural practices and poor attitudes towards girls' education, early marriages, teenage pregnancies, child labour, and forced marriages among others³. Dropout rates remain high at upper primary (i.e. survival rate of 34%) resulting in low transition to secondary especially for girls. Research conducted so far points to the numerous challenges faced by girls in schools; as evidenced by the MOES report (2012). Learners especially girls encountered high levels of corporal punishments and sexual violence while at school, reported at 77.7% of primary school children, while 82% of the Secondary school children experienced sexual abuse while at school. Eight percent of the girls were subjected to defilement, 24% were spoken to in a sexual manner, while 18% received marriage proposals. Further, there is limited participation of children with disability and other vulnerable children in education, while par Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) has emerged as a key challenge to adolescent girls.