Psychosocial Support Training: Facilitators' Guide

Abstract

Introduction A Note to the Facilitator To minimize the spread to COVID-19, the Ministry of Education and Sports (MOES) closed schools on March 18, 2020. Learning for 4.5 million primary school Ugandan pupils was disrupted. The continued school closure of schools negatively effects learners and teachers. The MOES responded rapidly to the crisis and developed a plan to mitigate against COVID-19. The MOES' Preparedness and Response Plan for COVID-19 informs the key strategies required for the continuity of learning. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through the USAID/Uganda Literacy Achievement and Retention Activity (LARA) project, is committed to support the MOES' Preparedness and Response Plan objective to: "Minimize the adverse effects of COVID-19 on learners, teachers and the education system at large". The project planned support include among other things, to enhance capacity of primary college tutors and education district officials to conduct psychosocial training of head teachers and teachers through a cascade model. This cascade model of training is as below: I. Orientation of lead facilitators selected from MOES, Guidance and Counselling (G & C) department, Uganda Counselling Association (UCA) and National Association of Social Workers, Uganda (NASW) and Project Staff. II. Training of trainers (Ten) selected from MOES, G & C and other departments, Primary Teachers Colleges (PTCS), UCA and NASWU. III. Training of PTC pre-service and in-service staff IV. Training of head teachers and teachers using funds mobilized by MOES TIET department in collaboration with Basic Education (BE) department and GPE. The Facilitation Guide is a guide for you, the Facilitator, to take your participants through a one day-psychosocial support content and practice.