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Kamuli schools report improved discipline after patriotism training.
More than 43,000 students in Kamuli District have undergone patriotism training since the programme was introduced in 2015, with school administrators crediting it for improving discipline, communication and relations among learners.
District records show that 42,853 students, comprising 18,967 boys and 23,886 girls, had completed the training by the latest pass-out ceremonies. The number is expected to exceed 43,000 following the recent ceremonies.
Hawa Adong, the head teacher of Emirates Academy Kamuli, said the programme had strengthened communication between students, teachers and parents, helping to reduce misunderstandings and school strikes.
“Patriotism clubs have opened and strengthened communication between students, school staff and parents, hence reducing uncalled-for punishments, misinformation and strikes resulting from communication gaps,” she said.
Kamuli Resident District Commissioner Rose Birungi, who presided over the pass-out of 60 students at Emirates Academy and 657 at Kamuli Grade Secondary School on Saturday, urged the graduates to promote community service, good governance, teamwork and love for Uganda.
“We use patriotism clubs and other clubs to instil teamwork, competition and voluntarism in students so that they come out as whole persons who are relevant to the communities where they will live,” Ms Birungi said.
She described patriotism as a strong sense of national consciousness and love for one’s country, saying the training covers morals, beliefs, traditions, norms and national values.
The curriculum includes national anthems, Uganda’s history and geography, discipline, mindset change, citizens’ duties and responsibilities, mental health, HIV/AIDS, peace and security, crime prevention, firefighting, Vision 2040 and financial literacy.
The training concludes with community service at the respective schools.
Charles Ngobi, the Kamuli District coordinator for patriotism clubs, said the programme initially faced resistance because of misconceptions, with only 228 students completing the training in 2016.
He said acceptance had since grown, including among schools that previously opposed the initiative, adding that 6,768 students had completed the training this year.
“Patriotism has killed the wave of strikes in schools, which reached its peak in 2012. Some alumni have taken up leadership roles, while others have joined the security forces to defend and serve Uganda,” Mr Ngobi said.
He added that joint activities, including district patriotism debates, community service and training, had helped reduce rivalry among schools.
Joachim Bernard Malinga, a former patriotism trainee and cybersecurity graduate, said the programme had helped him manage unruly students and promote cooperation among rival schools when he was a student leader.
“The patriotism skills are the ones I still employ to hustle, participate and engage in community service,” he said.