Minute of the Refugee Children’s education Working Group meeting held on 27 th August 2014
at InterAid Uganda
Members present:
1. ROBERT HAKIZA
YARID
2. KAMANGO HONORE
UFPH
3. CAESAR BISHOVU
WYO
4. JUNIOR SHABUSHA
SWB
5. DOUGLAS BULONGO
UAPD
6. KULIOSHI MUSIKANI
PPDR
7. TUGUME DUWANI
IAU
8. STEPHEN WINDSOR
XP
9. MAFABI MICHAEL
PADEAP
10. KAMUKAMA NICHOLAS KAINE
RIGHT TO PLAY
11. KANSIIME HOPE
FENU
12. ANYA WHITESIDE
FENU
13. SENGA LIWALI
PPDR
14. SHADIA NANKYA
HOMO NJIANI
15. NAKIWALA JULIET
IAU
16. KWONDE EMA
IAU
17. GUMILA MBUGA
UNRSPO
18. FRANCOIS DIOCHE
CCCU
19. BISIMWA JOHN
IAU
The agenda of the meeting was:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Review terms of reference.
Review letter regarding Nabagareka Primary School.
Input into ESSR
Review of Action 1 in the UNHCR Uganda Strategy for Refugee Education 2013-2016 –
“more children will learn better in primary school” (see in particular pp21-23 of the
Strategy). Members will be asked what their organisation during 2013-2014 has done to:
a. Increase access to primary education;
b. Strengthen teacher quality;
c. Monitor learning achievement regularly;
d. Increase access to reading materials (teaching and learning materials); and
e. Enhance school governance.
Then we will consider challenges, gaps and how we can best move forward regarding
“more children will learn better in primary school.”
5. Update from members on payment for teachers and caregivers – discussion around
harmonizing payments
6. Girls education
Min. 1/RCEWG/14 welcoming remarks.
The meeting stated at 10:28 am with the greeting from the chairperson who asked members to
do a self-introduction before he announced the agenda of the meeting.
Min. 2/RCEWG/14 Review term of reference.
Stephen, Michael and Robert met at PADEAP as it was decided in the previous meeting and
drafted the Term of reference that was circulated to all the members. The Chair red it and
asked members to say what they think about it.A member suggested that we use both refugees
and nationals which was welcomed by other members. Stephen and Anya will discuss about it
after and see how they can extend it to national children.
Min. 3/RCEWG/14 Review letter regarding Nabagereka Primary School
Members agreed that the letter that was drafted previously to be sent to the Buganda Land
Board should be signed by organizations. Pecos, Robert and Honore will meet after and plan
how to circulate it to collect signatures from the organizations members of the group. Michael
of PADEAP will facilitate the movements.
Min. 4/RCEWG/14 Input about ESSR (Education and Sport Rector Review)
Anya from FENU explained to members about ESSR which is a forum where the Education
Sector comes together to analyze the performance of the previous year and decide priorities
for the following year. She said that this was a big opportunityfor the civil society organizations
to speak with the Government. She continued by saying that the civil society organizations
should get together and discuss about ten key things to suggest to the Ministry of Education
this year. Then she presented what FENU had done already to ask to ESSR and said that they
can build on what was there so far. She finished by asking members to think about one thing
about refugees that they wanted the MoE to do this year and that she would try to include it.
The ESSR deadline is the end of September.
Min. 5/RCEWG/14 review of Action 1 in the UNHCR Uganda Strategy for refugee education
2013-2016
Members shared what their Organizations have done during 2013 – 2014 concerning the Action
1 and everything were written down by the chair as following:
I.
Increase access to primary education
1. Right to play:
- Campaigns in Nakivale and oruchinga through the “Play Days” to sensitize
parents and children regarding back to school.
2. Soccer without borders (SWB):
- Teaching English to refugee children
- Looking for sponsors
3. PADEAP:
- English classes
- Accelerated learning program for refugee children
- Giving stipend for YARID teachers
4. Xavier project
- Sponsoring 64 children at primary school
- English courses every year
5. InterAid:
- Supporting vulnerable children (school fees, sanitary pads)
- Constructing classrooms, sanitary facilities
- Parents sensitization (sending children to school, where are UPE schools)
at Interaid and in communities
6. UNRSPO:
- Mobilize member organizations to sensitize refugee parents to take their
children to primary schools (UPE)
7. Homo Njiani Refugee Project:
- 144 primary children sponsored (80% refugees and 20% nationals) with
scholastic materials, books, uniforms, shoes
- Parent sensitization
- Basic need to sponsor students (soap, food)
8. YARID:
- Refugee children in English classes
- Sensitize parents on importance of school and where to go
9. PPDR:
- English classes
- Advocacy
10. UAPD:
- English, French and Swahili classes
11. CCCU:
- Some churches host English classes for refugee children
- Sensitization of parents to send children to school
- Lobbying for sponsorship for vulnerable
II.
Strengthen teachers quality
1. PADEAP:
- Plans to offer refresher courses for teachers in Oruchinga (with Windle
trust)
2. Xavier Project
- Teachers workshops on Phonics and group work methodology
3. UAPD:
- Meetings with refugee teachers and encouraging them to be involved in
education in Uganda
4. InterAid Uganda
- “Good School Program” training teachers on how to make schools safe
III.
Monitor learning achievement regularly
1. Xavier Project
- Through their sponsored students (talking with teachers at open days)
- Home visits
- Holidays programs
- Talking to teachers in charge of refugees (for eg. At St. Peters)
- Checking reports and meeting parents
2. InterAid Uganda
- “School family initiative” teachers monitoring individual refugee
students’ progress (visiting their home)
- Data collection (how many in schools, how many passing)
- Open days
3. Soccer Without Borders:
-
IV.
Keep in touch with their sponsored children through families and sport
for life skills in holidays.
Increase access to reading materials
1. YARID:
- Once a week reading story books in English classes
2. Soccer Without Borders:
- Opened a reading room
3. UNRSPO:
- Members of organizations receive reading materials to distribute
4. InterAid Uganda
- Newspapers in education: purchase 40 copies of the Monitor every
Monday to distribute to schools
- Distribute text books to schools
5. PADEAP:
- Donating books to schools in oruchinga
- Resource center at PADEAP office in Kampala
6. Xavier Project
- Mobile library with 300 children a week access
- Plan to open a physical library
V.
Enhance School governance
1. InterAid Uganda
- reading clubs where participants involved in broader governance issues
- school outreach visits aimed at eliminating corporal punishment and
good behavior
- meeting 81 head teachers
2. PADEAP
- Working with 4 schools in Oruchinga (meet regularly)
- With STAR education regarding innovative teachers
Because of time the other two points on the agenda were postponed for the next meeting
Anya will send:
-
The term of reference of the group (some members didn’t receive it)
The letter for Nabagereka School
The UNHCR Uganda strategy for Refugee Education
The UNICEF Peace building document
Violence about children Policy
The meeting ended at 01:38 pm
The next meeting will take place on 22nd October at InterAid Uganda at 10:00 am
Robert Hakiza (Secretary)