Walakuba East, Spire Road and St Moses schools

Friday was the chance to spend time in 3 different schools working with children in classrooms. After a delayed start due to the minibus breaking down (!), and a slightly circuitous route (!!), we arrived at Wulukuba East Primary School. We split into 2 groups and worked with P4 (UK Y6) - both classes of around 75 students. Letters from Bowdon Church School in Manchester were given out, read (only a few needed help) and then we modelled writing a reply. The children were eager to write and produced some lovely letters. We loved seeing the different things they wanted to tell their new friends - “I love football too” and “I live in a nuclear family”. It was great to see their enthusiasm for writing to their new Brititsh friends and the similarities in their interests. The quality of their writing as well as their handwriting was really impressive and they delighted in drawing pictures to add to their letters.

We then drove to Spire Road School to work with P4 and P5, again 75 children in each class. We'd been asked to do an activity to help the children understand the differences between the UK and Uganda. We started by getting the children to talk to each other about the kind of things they wanted to know and went from there. Both classrooms had a lively discussion which the children really engaged with. The biggest difference between the 2 countries was the weather as you can imagine! It was soon lunchtime so we left them with resources to do a compare and contrast poster, our plan if we'd had more time. We recognised some of the children from the street children project and it was great to see them again. Before we left we were presented with letters for Kingsteignton School in Devon which the children had written to.

We managed a 15 minute pit stop for lunch before going on to St. Moses Primary School. Here we were welcomed by the Headteacher and taken to P2 who shared a wonderfully energetic welcome song and dance with us. Following that we met P4, 5 and 6 in the courtyard so that David could talk to them about Chudleigh Primary School in Devon that they have links with and had written letters to. They were very excited about getting letters back. Hazel had collected 20 recorders and music books from her friends before traveling to Uganda and St. Moses were keen to learn how to play so a group of P6 children went to hall with Hazel for a recorder lesson while others of the team explored the rest of the school. Hazel did an amazing job and by the end of the lesson had taught the students (as well as the teachers) the notes B, A and G. She also showed them how to take the recorder apart and clean it. Before we left they played a short tune to us all using these 3 notes. The instruments and books have been left with the school to continue learning, we'll have to see how they get on when we come back next year!

Reflecting on the day it is so evident that all the schools we have visited have so little compared to what we are used to. As you will notice from the pictures, the physical environment is very poor, the classrooms would be condemned at home and the children are crammed 4 to a 2 person desk. However, they are so eager to learn, they are respectful and diligent. The work we saw was, in the majority of cases, at or above what we would expect to see in the UK. Despite the challenges the teachers are doing a great job.

Education is highly valued by everyone in Uganda. With no welfare state, it is seen in society as the one way that young people can secure a more positive future for themselves and their families. We have certainly been left with much to think about as we return to the UK.