Dubai Cares begins Dh4.5 million worth of teacher project in Uganda

Dubai - The programme also aims at forming teacher changemaker networks, or active communities of local teachers, to exchange skills and knowledge.

On the occasion of World Teachers' Day, Dubai Cares has launched a three-year programme aimed at enhancing the skills of 17,000 teachers from across 66 districts in Uganda. The programme, titled 'Teacher Changemaker', aims to improve teaching practice and learning levels for students in Uganda.
The Dh4.47 million programme launched in partnership with "Schools and Teachers Innovating for Results (Stir)", will indirectly benefit over 988,000 students across Uganda and enhance their learning outcomes in the long-term.
The programme also aims at forming teacher changemaker networks, or active communities of local teachers, to exchange skills and knowledge, in order to enhance the existing learning environment.
Speaking on the launch of this new programme in Uganda, Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer at Dubai Cares, said: "At Dubai Cares, we believe that improved teacher motivation leads to more effective teaching practice, which in turn, results in better learning outcomes among students.
With the launch of the 'Teacher Changemaker' programme, we aim to bring back the intrinsic motivation of teaching to Uganda by building a mass teacher-led movement for change from within the existing system. Supporting motivated, skillful and influential practitioners will certainly create motivated and influential future leaders."
 Two hundred and fifty million children of primary school age around the world cannot read or write, with the shortage of qualified teachers being a major contributing factor. Around 25 per cent of Ugandan teachers are absent on any given day, and less than 50 per cent of their time is spent on teaching.
Based on research, Ugandan teachers lack the right support system to improve quality of teaching in classrooms, hence, the feel of demotivation.
"By 2020, our mission is to build a 17,000 solid teacher-led movement and improve the educational level of around 1 million students throughout Uganda," said Mada Al Suwaidi, programme manager at Dubai Cares.
Dubai Cares, part of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, draws the public's attention to the importance of trained teachers in communities where learning has the potential to change the future of children and nations.
 
reporters@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai