By Naboth Isaac Niwagaba
apearlnews.com
The Deputy Director of the Internal Security Organisation, Lt. Col. Emmanuel Katabazi, has asked the Media to stop judging the success of Universal Primary Education (UPE) from the first grades scored at PLE.
“The government’s plan was to ensure that illiteracy levels are reduced significantly,” Katabazi said while addressing journalists from Kigezi Subregion today in Kabale District.
“If a woman gives birth and is able to know that it’s important to take the baby for immunisation because she was taught about that in school, then it’s a score for the UPE Programme. If a Ugandan can reach a sign post, read and understand the words written, again, it’s an achievement for UPE,” he explained, adding that good grades are okay, but what matters most is education for all Ugandans.
Lt. Col. Katabazi also asked the Media to always follow up with the pupils who score first grades and report not only about their academic career but also their life after School.
“Where are those who scored first grades, and how are they helping Uganda to solve the social-economic problems affecting the populace?” He asked.
Katabazi asked the Media to give coverage to issues that promote the transformation of the country, especially in terms of the economy, rather than promoting negativity about the already existing programmes.
“For example, we have professors, engineers, and so on, but we still use imported pencils in those UPE Schools that you portray as weak. Why not investigate and report about why Uganda is still importing such small things, yet we have the so-called learned people that could help make them from here? Why do we still use books with foreign content, yet we have people with doctorates, and we would expect them to write down this content?” Katabazi asked.
According to Katabazi, today’s meeting with Media practitioners was all intended to popularise the role of ISO among journalists and bridge the gap between the two entities as they both execute their mandates in service to the country.
