1 An Evaluation of the Literacy and Basic Education (LABE) Mother-Tongue Education (MTE) Project UGANDA Final Report Lead Evaluator: Kathleen Heugh Co-evaluator: Bwanika Mathias Mulumba LABE MTE Final Evaluation July – August 2013 2 Report Compiled by: Kathleen Heugh Research Centre for Languages and Cultures School of Communication, International Studies and Languages University of South Australia [email protected] With Bwanika Mathias Mulumba Department of Humanities & Language Education School of Education College of Education & External Studies Makerere University [email protected] 21 September 2013 LABE MTE Final Evaluation July – August 2013 3 Contents List of Acronyms .................................................................................................................................. 6 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................. 7 Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................. 8 Key Achievements ............................................................................................................................... 9 Improved learner achievement in literacy and numeracy .............................................................. 9 Increased community and parental awareness of the value of local languages in education ....... 9 Increased capacity of language boards ......................................................................................... 10 Production and use of sample reading materials ......................................................................... 10 Production of children’s magazines .............................................................................................. 10 Teacher education ........................................................................................................................ 10 Dissemination of experiences to policy makers ........................................................................... 10 Significant challenges and risks ..................................................................................................... 11 Recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 11 Extend timeframe, or initiate a second phase for the MTE Project ............................................. 11 Consolidate objectives, possibly focussing on fewer objectives and fewer activities .................. 11 Language Boards ........................................................................................................................... 11 Parent Educators and HLCs ........................................................................................................... 12 Reading and learning materials production .................................................................................. 12 Electronic resources in local languages for schools, language boards and the national system . 12 Relationship between community stakeholders and LABE .......................................................... 12 Language education policy monitoring and review ...................................................................... 12 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 13 2. Contextualising MTE and the use of Local Languages in Education ............................................. 16 2.1. The History of the Language Policy in Education ....................................................................... 16 2.2. Education and Curriculum Policy in Uganda .............................................................................. 17 2.3. International Research on Mother-Tongue, Bilingual and Multilingual Education .............. 17 3. Methodology ................................................................................................................................. 21 4. Findings ......................................................................................................................................... 23 4.3. Schools and Home Learning Centres by District ................................................................... 23 4.3.1. Arua ............................................................................................................................... 24 4.3.2. Koboko .......................................................................................................................... 27 4.3.3. Yumbe ........................................................................................................................... 30 4.3.4. Adjumani ....................................................................................................................... 31 LABE MTE Final Evaluation July – August 2013 4 4.3.5. Gulu ............................................................................................................................... 33 4.3.6. Amuru and Nwoya ........................................................................................................ 34 4.4. District and Local Government Officials ............................................................................... 36 4.4.1. Arua ............................................................................................................................... 36 4.4.2. Koboko .......................................................................................................................... 38 4.4.3. Yumbe ........................................................................................................................... 39 4.4.4. Adjumani ....................................................................................................................... 40 4.4.5. Gulu ............................................................................................................................... 41 4.4.6. Amuru and Nwoya ........................................................................................................ 42 4.5. Language Boards ................................................................................................................... 43 4.5.1. Kakwa Language Board – Koboko ................................................................................. 43 4.5.2. Aringa Language Board - Yumbe ................................................................................... 44 4.5.3. Madi Language Board - Adjumani ................................................................................. 45 4.5.4. Acholi Language Board - Gulu ....................................................................................... 45 4.6. Centre Co-ordinating Tutor (CCT) Interviews ....................................................................... 46 4.6.1. Centre Co-ordinating Tutor (CCT) Koboko .................................................................... 46 4.6.2. Centre Co-ordinating Tutors (CCT) Yumbe.................................................................... 47 4.6.3. Centre Co-ordinating Tutors (CCT) Adjumani ............................................................... 47 4.6.4. Centre Co-ordinating Tutors (CCT) Gulu ....................................................................... 48 4.7. Questionnaires ...................................................................................................................... 48 4.7.1. Data from the questionnaires administered to district stakeholders .......................... 49 4.7.2. Data from questionnaires administered to MLEN stakeholders .................................. 49 5. National Stakeholders ................................................................................................................... 50 5.3. Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) and National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) 50 5.4. Uganda National Commission for UNESCO (UNATCOM) ...................................................... 52 6. LABE and AET Staff ........................................................................................................................ 53 6.3. Monitoring and Evaluation ................................................................................................... 54 6.4. Financial Management and Financial Issues ......................................................................... 54 6.5. Regional and District Based Programme Officers ................................................................. 56 7. Partnership and Collaboration between AET and LABE................................................................ 59 8. Analysis of the Findings ................................................................................................................. 60 8.1 Improved learner achievement in literacy and numeracy .......................................................... 60 8.2. Increased community and parental awareness of the value of local languages in education .. 62 LABE MTE Final Evaluation July – August 2013 5 8.3. Increased capacity of language boards ...................................................................................... 63 8.4. Production and use of sample reading materials ...................................................................... 65 8.5. Production of children’s magazines ..........................................................................................