On 10th September, 2020, Uganda National Commission for UNESCO handed over 6 kits for educational content creation procured as response to the emergency situation caused by the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic that has affected the smooth flow of education globally in a ceremony held at State House, Entebbe. The exercise was witnessed by Members of the Top Management of Ministry of Education and Sports and media including state ministers J.C Muyingo (higher education) Rosemary Seninde (primary education) Denis Hamson Obua (sports) . The donation was made by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO).
The kits received by the education ministry through the National Commission for UNESCO, include mobile video equipment, still cameras, laptops, external microphone systems, and other accessories.
First lady and Minister of Education and Sports Hon. Janet Kataha Museveni delivering her remarks during the handover ceremony held at State House, Entebbe.
The items will be distributed to six educational institutions to support the production of audio-visual educational content and materials in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic and to ensure the continuity of teaching and learning in Uganda.
In her remarks, she thanked the Islamic World Scientific Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, (ICESCO) for the six (6) kits for educational content creation. She noted that the equipment had come as a response to the emergency situation caused by the outbreak of the COVID 19 pandemic that has affected the smooth flow of education globally, Uganda inclusive.
She added that she glad to note that the ICESCO kits received included mobile video equipment and accessories for producing, recording and broadcasting lessons via the internet. “As you are aware, in our effort to ensure continuity of learning, we broadcast lessons on Radios and Television”, Mrs. Museveni added. She further stated that she was hopeful that the kits would help us to record lessons across the country and use them to reach as many of our learners as possible.
Uganda’s Representative to ICESCO Dr. Mouhamed Mpezamihigo addressing members of the Top Management in the ceremony held at State House.
Dr. Mpezamihigo stated that the donation is an outcome of the virtual meeting of Secretaries-Generals of ICESCO member states held on June 22, during which the UNATCOM Secretary General voiced out the need for strengthening e-learning at all levels, since the pandemic led to the closure of all educational institutions in the country. He conveyed Uganda’s gratitude to the director General of ICESCO, Salim M. AlMalik, for the support given towards boosting e-learning amidst the pandemic.
He said ICESCO was established by the 3rd Islamic Summit Conference held in Saudi Arabia, as an international Islamic body to operate alongside the joint Islamic action organs, within the Organization of the Islamic Co-operation (OIC) with a mandate in the fields of education, sciences, culture and communication.
The objective of ICESCO are similar to those of UNESCO, namely, to promote co-operation among member states in the field of education, sciences, culture and communication.
The fundamental difference between the organizations is that ICESCO operates within the framework of civilization reference of the Islamic world and in the light of human Islamic values and ideals.
Secretary General UNATCOM Ms. Rosie Agoi addressing members of the Top Management during the handover of the ICESCO Educational Kit at Statehouse Uganda.
Ms. Rosie Agoi who was led the team informed the members that UNATCOM serves as the secretariat to ICESCO.
Mrs. Museveni thanked the ICESCO for the packages and hoped that equipment will augment the governments effort to produce, record, broadcast lessons via the internet and reach as many learners as possible across the country.
The kit will help the beneficiary institutions to generate content for training primary, secondary, BTVET and university teachers plus continuous professional development for secondary school teachers under the SESEMAT programme which will come in handy in fulfilling the requirement in the teacher policy.
Mrs. Museveni appealed to the institutions to ensure effective use of the kits and urged all members of top management in the education ministry to make every effort to follow up and support the effective use of the kits.
The six selected beneficiary institutions that will serve as hubs for the equipment include;
- Education ministry to boost the education radio and television section and NATCOM content development
- Shimoni Core PTC as the national hub for pre-primary and primary education serving the central region
- Muni NTC for secondary teacher training serving the West Nile region
- IUIU