The Challenges of Teaching Reading in Uganda

Curriculum guidelines and language policy viewed from the classroom

Abstract

The goal of this paper is to consider the challenges which Ugandan children experience in beginning to learn to read. The paper demonstrates that there are disparities between rural government and rural private school approaches to reading and between rural and urban schools. The disparities arise from the uneven ways in which the language-in-education policy is being implemented and the variation in the nature and quality of the reading pedagogy in the early years. Ugandan children are being taught to read in different circumstances: government schools use mother tongue (MT) from Primary (P) 1 to P3 while English and MT are taught as a subject; private schools use English and teach MTs as subject. In addition, some teachers offer pre-school provision in English, so learners start reading in English, have their first formal schooling from P1 in MT (if they move into a government school) and then need to switch back to English in P4. Learners in rural government schools do not attend pre-school and begin to learn to read in P1 through their MTs, with English being taught as subject. This paper presents classroom-based research which provides insights into the ways in which teachers and learners negotiate the challenges posed by these disparities and by the lack of joined-up thinking regarding early reading pedagogy for English and for MTs. The paper concludes with a discussion of the practical implications of these findings for curriculum development and for teacher education.

Luganda translation of the Abstract

Ebisoomoozo ebiri mu kusomesa okusoma mu Uganda: Ebigobererwa mu kusomesa n’Enkola ya gavuumenti ey’ebyennimi nga bwe birabibwa mu kibiina

Ekigendererwa ky’olupapula luno kwe kutunuulira ebisoomoozo abaana b’omu Uganda bye bayitamu nga batandika okuyiga okusoma. Olupapula luno lwoleka nti waliwo enjawulo mu njolekera y’okuyiga okusoma wakati w’amasomero g’omu byalo aga gavumenti n’ag’obwannannyini, ne wakati w’amasomero g’omu byalo n’ag’omu bibuga. Enjawulo zino ziva mu ngeri ez’enjawulo ezitatuukana mu kugoberera enkola ya gavumenti ey’ebyennimi mu masomero wamu ne mu njawulo mu ngeri ne mu mutindo gw’okusomesa okusoma mu myaka egisooka. Abaana b’omu Uganda bayigirizibwa okusoma mu mbeera ez’enjawulo: amasomero ga gavumenti ag’omu byalo gakozesa olulimi oluzaaliranwa okutandikira mu P1 okutuuka mu P3 so ng’ate Olungereza n’olulimi oluzaaliranwa bisomesebwa ng’amasomo; go amasomero ag’obwannannyini gakozesa Lungereza, bwe batyo abayizi batandikira mu Lungereza okuyiga okusoma, ate olwo mu P1 ne bayigira mu lulimi oluzaaliranwa (bwe baba nga bagenze mu somero erya gavumenti) ate olwo ne baddayo mu Lungereza nga bagenze mu P4. Abayizi abasomera mu masomero ga gavumenti tebasoma nnasale era bwe batyo batandikira mu lulimi luzaaliranwa okuyiga okusoma ng’Olungereza balusoma ng’essomo. Olupapula luno lwoleka okunoonyereza okwakolebwa mu kibiina era nga kulaga ebirowoozo eby’enjawulo mu ngeri abasomesa n’abayizi gye boolekeramu ebisoomoozo ebijjawo olw’enjawulo ezikooneddwako waggulu, wamu n’olw’obutaba na ndowooza ya ngeri y’emu ku ngeri y’okusomesa okusoma mu Lungereza ne mu nnimi enzaaliranwa. Olupapula luno lukubira n’okukubaganya ebirowoozo ku biva mu byazuulibwa nga bwe bikola ku nkulaakulanya y’ensomeserezo n’okutendeka abasomesa.