Mukono District Education Department Conducts Follow-Up Training for IT Support Teachers and Headteachers in Government-Aided Schools.

Mukono District Headquarters:

The Mukono District Education Department, in collaboration with the Directorate of Education Standards (DES), has conducted a follow-up training session targeting Headteachers and selected teachers responsible for IT and TELA machine operations in government-aided schools.

The one-day training held at the District Headquarters aimed to retool educators particularly those whose schools scored below 50% in TELA compliance assessments or who missed the previous training held in 2024. The initiative is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the use of the Teacher Effectiveness and Learner Achievement (TELA) system, which is designed to improve teacher accountability and learner performance.

Speaking during the training, Mr. Paul Odeke, Technical Support Officer for TELA machines from the Ministry of Education and Sports, emphasized the importance of ensuring that teaching and learning are in line with the national syllabus and timetable. He highlighted that the TELA system plays a crucial role in monitoring teacher presence, tracking lesson delivery, and ensuring learners attend class consistently.

“The Ministry is committed to improving performance in schools by ensuring that both teachers and learners are present and that teaching is taking place as scheduled. This training is to retool teachers, especially those who either lost the TELA phones, personalized them, or have been reporting late. Clocking in and out is essential to minimize absenteeism,” Mr. Odeke noted.

Headteacher Kadyama Stephenson of Kisowera Church of Uganda Primary School and zone leader for Nama Sub-County expressed gratitude to the Ministry and district education team for the support. “We scored poorly in the previous evaluation, and this training will help us improve. However, we still face challenges like poor network coverage and limited data access. We request government collaboration with telecom companies to enhance connectivity and supply sufficient data for efficient TELA system use,” he appealed.

Representing the District Education Department, Mr. Robert Mawanda, the District Inspector of Schools, urged the teachers and Headteachers to take the training seriously and apply the knowledge in their schools. “The objective is to ensure learners benefit fully from the education system. We appeal to Headteachers to include IT support for TELA operations in their school budgets. Compliance and proper use of the machines are essential for improving educational outcomes,” he said.

This training marks a continued commitment by Mukono District to promote accountability, reduce absenteeism, and enhance teaching standards in government-aided schools through effective integration of technology. With renewed support from the Ministry of Education and Sports, Headteachers are encouraged to institutionalize TELA usage and allocate adequate resources to sustain its implementation for the benefit of learners across the district.