STAKEHOLDERS IN GREATER NEBBI CALL FOR AFFIRMATIVE ACTION FOR PAIDHA PTC

MORYN NAMAWA

ZOMBO. Stake holders in greater Nebbi have urged government to consider affirmative action for Paidha primary teachers’ college.

This follows the ministry of education plan to phase out 23 non-core primary teachers’ colleges in the country.

During a consultation meeting with stake holders at Paidha Zombo district on Thursday 23^rd March 2023, the stake holders requested the ministry to consider lifting the College to Core to enable teachers in the area upgrade to diploma level.

The bishop of Nebbi Anglican diocese Rev Apons Ozelle Awinju said that closing down Paidha teachers college will enormously affect the education of the coming generation who are supposed to learn to read and write Alur language.

The Prime minister of Alur kingdom Prince Laurence Opar Angala highlighted that phasing out the PTC will affect the lower classes that are required to be taught in their mother tongue.

The premier observed that the kingdom is looking forward to consideration of the plea and preserving its language from extinction.

“The action will lead to the importation of teachers from other tribes who will fail to teach the infant classes in Alur Language,” he said.

Meanwhile the Ministry of education commissioner Maxwell Okiror promised to share the outcome from the consultative meeting to the ministry and the decision for action.

There were 46 PTCs, 23 are non-core and government plans to change them to Technical Vocational Education Training, secondary or primary school.

Government gave a deadline of August 2028 for grade III and grade V teachers to upgrade and become graduate teachers.