By Our Reporter
NATIONAL
Uganda’s Vice President, Rtd Major, Jessica Alupo has told teachers that discipline amongst school going children is one of their major roles since they spend more time with them than the parents.
Alupo stressed this aspect of education while addressing head teachers attending a workshop at National Leadership Institute-Kyankwanzi last week.
Alupo therefore, urged teachers to pay attention to this aspect if Uganda’s democratic culture is to be nurtured.
She also challenged teachers to use schools to nurture children under their care in other disciplines beneficial to their future wellbeing.
She says schools should not only be places for preparing young people how to pass exams but also involve teaching them about values of unity, work and transformation.
“Passing exams, without fundamental values and the right attitude is putting the future of the country at a great risk,” The VP said.
The workholic VP who was tipping head teachers on their roles besides their professional work, also informed them that they must pay attention to the issue of protecting the environment as one way of loving their country.
“Love for the country also presupposes caring for Mother Nature. Issues of environment can no longer be ignored. As a Teacher, let’s inculcate the love and care about the environment like the water bodies, mountains, the soils, the forests, the pastures among others. These are so vital for our survival, and it is criminal not to care about them,” she advised.
The Second-In-Command of this motherland also implored all teachers to cherish their profession describing it as a noble service. She lectured that choosing a teaching profession is not about mere careerism; but should be treated as a passion and revolutionary calling to serve humanity.
“There is no price you can attach to the sacrifices teachers make; it should be your choice and patriotic calling. Therefore, if teachers are to deliver on this task of molding and mentoring the young, they must first of all love the profession, but most importantly must LOVE the children they teach,” Alupo emphasized adding that for the young people to develop love and care, they themselves must feel loved and cared for by their teachers, parents and the government.
Patriotism Clubs To Nurture Ideologically Conscious Minds In Schools
She said statistics indicate that by 1986 when NRM came to power, they were about 2 million children in primary schools and less than 130,000 students at secondary school level.
However, she said, since the introduction of universal primary education, and eventually universal secondary education, the numbers have since grown close to 10million for primary level, and close to 1.5million for secondary schools.
She said these huge large numbers who are in secondary schools therefore, make teachers a very crucial cadre in as far as the mentorship role is concerned since the kids spend more time at school than they do either in their homes or within the communities.
“Teachers play a pivotal role in shaping the outlook of the young people who go through their hands,” the ell articulate Vice President said.
She said that in recognition of this reality, Gen. Museveni saw it very prudent and made a timely strategic intervention of initiating Patriotism Clubs in all secondary schools. Alupo said these are meant to inculcate norms and values of patriotism among the youths and students and that he (Museveni) made teachers to be the champions of this great responsibility.
“The issue therefore, is to ensure that you the teachers are equal to this noble task. If the task is inculcating the norms and values of patriotism, then it demands that the teacher of necessity must be ideologically clear and must have internalized such norms and values, in order to be able to articulate and disseminate them to the young ones” she advised.
The VP guided teachers on the real meaning of being ideologically conscious.
“The question then is, what does it take to be ideologically conscious? What does ideology entail? We need to have clear answer to those important questions. In a nutshell ideology is about “ones understanding in a correct way, of what happens in one’s environment/society”. It’s about your correct interpretation of things which happen, Not simply guessing” she explained amid wild cheers from the head teachers.
Alupo advised teachers to invest in studying, learning and reading to be able to acquire more knowledge.
“In short, ideological consciousness is ones correct understanding of all phenomena. Being able to discern truth from many facts, some of them which could be falsehoods. So, Teachers, who must be the mentors of the young generation, ought to invest heavily in being broadly knowledgeable” she said.
The lady from Katakwi added that for the case of patriotism, which she said entails love for the country, it calls upon teachers to have a full grasp of facts and truths about their country Uganda.
She however, noted that one cannot love Uganda without understanding the long history associated with it including the fact that Uganda and Africa happen to be the origin of mankind.
She challenged teachers to take interest in enriching themselves about such history. Alupo said when they do this, they will understand problems of the past; who caused them and how the country has been able to transition from such problems to the current situation.
“The teacher would then be able to appreciate why it is important to embrace principles of National unity as opposed to sectarianism. Patriotism actually is about rejecting segregation and loving all your fellow country- women/men whom you need to prosper better” she lectured, adding that through patriotism, a teacher further appreciates that Africa needs unity/Pan-Africanism.
The Vice President added that by being knowledgeable, a teacher will be able to understand that in order to be a modern country, there must be social-metamorphosis which ensures transformation from traditional to modern society.
TEACHERS ON WEALTH CREATION
Alupo said that whereas government is very much aware of the need to improve welfare of all its workers, it is also important that every Ugandan develops a correct attitude towards wealth creation and financial discipline.
“It is possible for a teacher to perform his/her roles of teaching, but also embrace wealth creation activities and at the same time practice financial discipline of saving, investing and frugality” she guided.
