Academy Online Reaches Uganda

I am taking some time to share my experience as both a teacher and parent regarding the Academy Online program that our students concluded last month. I am so glad the Lord granted us this blessing for both the students and us as the parents and educators as well.

First of all, schools closed in March due to the coronavirus pandemic as the World Health Organization and subsequently the Ugandan government had announced. As all students embarked on staying at home, ways of keeping them engaged in any education effort was a major challenge. Even though I am a teacher, I had not yet figured out a productive routine for my children during what we later came to know as “lockdown.”

The high school students gather around a laptop to interact with their teacher and fellow classmates and receive their lessons and instructions for the day. (Pictured in header, Josephine Ssemakula sits with cooperative Peter Kimbugwe’s son Joel as he greets his class online.)

A few days later, Cameron Kagay (East Africa regional team lead manager) asked the other parents and I if we would be interested in a 6-week online education program for our children. We welcomed the idea, and even though at the moment part of the challenge was the limited number of devices that our children were going to use, we accepted to give it a try. All our thirteen children were headed to share three laptops, one tablet and three phones.

In a few days, the program was up and running. Rachel Hartnell (East Africa regional team education manager) was regularly in touch with Josephine (my wife and fellow teacher), Annette Lubega (fellow cooperative and teacher) and I to ensure we knew everything we needed to and were able to troubleshoot when necessary. I had many questions but I kept reminding myself to have faith in God, knowing he was the one blessing us and our children. This all required our hard work and trusting the Lord that he was going to help us. I think you’ll agree with me that each time when something new is started, we as human beings always tend to fear and even resist. I realized that as parents, we had some fears and as teachers, we had to confront this moment of embracing new wine (Matt 9:14-17).

When I looked at the curriculum through the lens of a teacher, to see how it had been organized (the different courses, goals, activities, and methodology to mention a few), I was really impressed. This curriculum is learner-centered and greatly caters to the individual needs of learners, meaning that children with a variety of different learning styles can fully benefit from it. Children are naturally environmental explorers, so if your curriculum doesn’t meet that part of them then they won’t really learn. Teachers can often struggle to impart knowledge into children, but courses like “Beginnings” (Academy Online’s intro-to-the-week course) had classes that fully included this.

Over the last two decades as an educator, I have witnessed how African governments have struggled to create curriculums useful enough to produce through their education systems the kind of individuals that would help them bring about development in their nations in the various arenas. This development would be political, economical, social, etc. Uganda’s body that is responsible to bring about curriculum development, the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC), has done a number of curriculum reforms/developments over the years, but its fruits have not been nutritious enough to produce the kind of individuals that would meet the political, economic and social demands as stipulated in Uganda’s constitution. Some so-called international schools in Uganda and the East African region have tried the same, but have ended up pocketing huge sums of shillings reaped from rich East African parents and tycoons while their curriculums lack the real substance.

Our curriculum this term gave me what I would dream for Africa and the entire world to have, for parents who love their children and desire to see them grow into responsible people.

Creative studies were such fun for them and encouraged them to showcase their skills in a free atmosphere. The playful nature that children demonstrate in their daily lives was so much embraced in coordination and balance (physical education) courses. I liked the many exercises that were child-friendly and focused on their physical and social development, promoting the idea of building teamwork right from an early age.

The incorporation of music concepts in the teaching of arithmetic, and also teaching students arithmetic in gardening made me say, “I wish I was taught math like this, I would have loved it so much.” Teachers today need to do more to ensure students can enjoy learning. The banking system of education has deprived our Ugandan children of the kind of fun and dignity they need to appreciate during the learning situation, both at school and at home. If learning is not practical, then its importance can easily be lost. I enjoyed the practicability of this curriculum.

I think as teachers and parents we must remember that for our children to enjoy what they are learning so that it can later be useful knowledge and a part of them for life, we have to be present in their lives as often as possible. Even as they learn, we should be available to encourage and support them. This role is not just for educators, but parents should partner in it. We have to create environments conducive for both at home and at school.

The spiritual emphasis must be upheld higher than anything else. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 puts a strong emphasis on this: “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up.” In my opinion, the spiritual emphasis was the heart of this program as it ties up everything in more ways than I can fully exhaust here.

We should be willing to listen to children. I loved how teachers were patient with the children during the online classes, listening to everyone and giving them the moment, a moment they can walk away with even after the class. This was really dignity and love. When children are given such attention, they develop great confidence and grow with such self-esteem, remembering their teachers as people who cared for them.

Pictured top right is Lawrence’s daughter Genesis (far right), along with Peter’s son Gideon and Annette’s daughter Rebecca. They are being taught by Academy instructor Skylar Aaseby, who is also a member of the East Africa regional team. He has met all three of them serving with their families for years.

I know part of the challenge in Uganda and East Africa is the overwhelming numbers of students, but I think we can still do something. Our curriculum may need further development to meet more needs, as this experience showed me that it is more of what our children need. My daughter Genesis Semakula wished not to continue with our standard education provided at her school because it is too much, so tiring and hard to grasp. I’m looking forward with joy to participate as a parent and teacher in future semesters of Academy Online.

Corey Foster (pictured top left) joins Mr. Aaseby’s class during one of their daily class times. She has also met the Ugandan students. Most of these students here have been praying for their age mates in Uganda since they could talk. The day the cooperatives’ children starting showing up on Zoom was beyond exciting for everyone.

Just as the semester ended, Corey Foster (Academy for G.O.D. Deputy Headmaster and member of the East Africa regional team ) asked Lawrence to share a testimony. He testified, “This is a great opportunity and blessing too. It’s hard for many people to sing songs like “Ebintu Biteredde” (Things are already better in Luganda) in moments like these. Not many around the world are able to sing it now due to the Covid situation, though with faith one can sing it.

But truly with this online education program, I cannot stop singing “Ebintu Biteredde,” and even with whatever challenges we have now, I only continue to sing ”Mukama nga yafuga ebintu biteredde“ (as long as the Lord reigns, things are already better), because there is no challenge beyond his power, and he has given us his wisdom and knowledge that I am seeing at work with you all. Seeing new wines of teaching and learning I have never seen before, seeing your kids freely expressing themselves in classes with great openness and loving what they are engaged in, with excitement and fully connected to their teachers. It is amazing.

Lawrence’s daughter Shaddai and Peter’s son Peter Jr. were front and center in the kindergarten class. We are so excited for what the future holds for these precious children we get to love and teach!

I am really filled up with great hope and ready to continue working so hard with every opportunity available so we can be a light to the nations, but also help our kids more to explore the blessing God has given them. They are having experiences they and us their parents have never dreamt of. “But, as it is written, ‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him’” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

I even see God subduing the chaos right amidst the chaos itself based upon what is happening in our world now. This gives me more energy to move on and on. Seeing our kids here and your kids there filled with great astonishment and joy to see each other is a powerful scene to behold.

Thanks so much, everyone. I am understanding now what it meant when I began to hear from Gregg (Garner, G.O.D. Int’l founder and president) this phrase, ”Let’s make history with the Lord.”