1. Handling conflicts
driven by education
Welcome to the first Edition of Edu-Talk newsletter.
Edu-Talk aims at making the environment within our
schools and communities peaceful and to equip commu-
nities, schools and children with skills on peaceful means
of resolving conflict.
While it is widely known that education is essential for
building a culture of peace, there are circumstances when
education has caused tensions that have resulted into con-
flicts. For example if a textbook favors a dominant group,
this can increase tensions that may result into conflict.
The DEO of Napak, Joyce Ilong-
ut (left) says, "When children
demand for scholastic materi-
als, parents take offence be-
cause they think government is
meant to do everything." Ugan-
da may have relative peace but
conflicts between schools and
communities, local authorities
and schools deprive millions of
children of educational oppor-
tunities.
To respond to such conflicts and build the capacity of com-
munities to promote peace, UNICEF and other partners is
implementing a project on conflict sensitive education in
28 districts in Northern, Western and Karamoja region.
Peace promotes quality education
Many communities in Uganda are facing sce-
narios where education has brought tension
and division.
Monica Llamazares, the Peace Building Special-
ist at UNICEF says, "When education increases
social tensions or division, it may contribute to
conflict. For instance, if children or youth from
one ethnic group have less access to education
than those of other groups, this can increase ten-
sions that may result into conflict."
Conflict sensitivity in education requires that we
look at our education system and environment,
find these tensions and take action to make the
situation better. Education that is conflict sensi-
tive looks at the policies, activities, and approach-
es that promote equitable access to education
and curricula based on skills and values that sup-
port peace and social cohesion.
When Edu-Talk visited schools in Karamoja, Ntoro-
ko, Kyegegwa and Bundibugyo, teachers, school
children, parents and community members
shared some conflict drivers. They range from
hunger, adolescence, early marriage, tribalism,
teacher-pupils absenteeism, land conflicts among
others. Above all they also shared their efforts in
preventing these conflicts.
Read on!
Volume. 1 No. 1 Education for peace September - October 2015
Pupils of Lia PS, Moroto PS say: "When there is peace, we are able to stay in school and study."
Pupils of Tapach PS, say: Love one another even
when you are from different tribes.
Peace Building, Education and Advo-
cacy project is being implemented in
28 districts across Uganda. A detailed
examination of the relationship between
Education and conflict is contained in a
research conducted by Institute of Peace
and Strategic Studies (IPSS) of Gulu
University in partnership with UNICEF.

2. 2 EDUTALK, September - October 2015
marriages are common but they are hardly re-
ported. We always tell parents to stop marrying
off young girls but most of them do not listen. We
encourage children to report such cases to their
teachers, local leaders and the
Police.
Mujuni Joel, 15, P7, Kyaban-
dara PS, Ntoroko says: My
sister was forced to get mar-
ried in P6. The man paid our
parents eleven cows for her."
Namutamba Juliet, the in charge of the Child
and Family Protection unit, Kyegegwa Police
Station says: “Police works with the schools to
sensitize parents on the benefits of education. We
encourage children to report parents who force
them to get married.”
Child marriage happens everywhere. It affects boys
and girls. But girls especially those from rural areas
are affected the most. In 2013, Uganda was ranked
16th among 25 countries with the highest rates of
early marriage.
Child marriage keeps commu-
nities in a cycle of poverty from
one generation to the other.
When it happens, children
are forced to drop out of
school, girls are exposed to
teenage pregnancies and their
childhood is cut short.
We visited Karamoja, Bundibu-
gyo, Kyegegwa and Ntoroko
districts. In this issue, we bring
you some of the conflicts that cap-
tured Edu-Talks' eyes!
The future of many girls in Uganda is
being shuttered by harmful cultural
practices like early marriage.
Lochoro Anna Gracious Lia PS says,
“I was forced to get married when I
was only 10 years. I refused because
I feared HIV.”
Pedo Lazarus LCI Chairperson Lo-
pei says: In Karamoja, most parents
do not value education. Boys are
raised to be herdsmen while girls
are groomed for marriage. There is
a claim that educated girls attract
less bride price. Some children run
away from home to take safety in the
schools when parents want to marry
them off. This causes conflict be-
tween schools and communities.
William Ezra the Municipal Edu-
cation Officer Moroto says, "About
35% of girls in Karamoja get married early yet they
should be in school."
In Western Uganda, the stories of early marriage
are not any different. Kisembo Adulf, Head teach-
er St Mary’s SS Bundibugyo says: “About 50% of
my female students are married. If we send them
Hunger is one of the factors responsible for
the high school dropout rate in Uganda.
While government provides children a free
education, parents are responsible for provid-
ing the children with a midday meal. However,
many parents do not provide lunch for learn-
ers.
Ayal Elly, 12, P6, Tapach PS Moroto says,
“Some pupils drink alcohol during lunch time
because they have no food to eat. They say
waragi is cheaper than food. My classmate
was suspended because of alcohol.”
Rosemary Asio, the Deputy Head teacher
at Longalom PS says,“In Karamoja region,
many pupils starve the whole day. A hungry
child cannot concentrate in class. Most of
these pupils doze in class.”
While some parents are struggling to provide
lunch, some schools are encouraging their
learners to pack food.
Kemigisa Syphroza,
Deputy Head teach-
er, Kakabara PS,
Kyegegwa says: “We
held a meeting with
parents and it was
resolved that parents
pack lunch for their
children. The teachers
also agreed to raise
50,000/= per term for
their lunch. ”
Dianah Nabatanzi, a
parent at Kakabara
Primary School says:
“I have a daughter in
P4. I pack for her food
every day. Sometimes,
I pack cassava, rice, potatoes or anything I
can afford. It has helped my daughter to stay
at school the whole day."
Kyegegwa DEO, Asiimwe Douglas says:
“The percentage of children having lunch in
the district has increased to about 65%. Some
parents contribute or pay in kind for mid-
day meals. The challenge is that food is not
enough in homes."
Harmful cultural practices
driving conflicts in schools
Hungry children cannot learnFemale Genital
Mutilation deprives
many girls of education
Female Genital Mutilation is the partial or total re-
moval of the external female genitalia. In Uganda,
FGM is common among the Sabiny, Kadama, Pokot,
and Tepeth.
Simon Peter Choda, 17 years,
P7, Tapach PS says, “When girls
are mutilated, they do not come
to school. Those who come are
laughed at by their fellow pupils
who claim they smell. The girls get
ashamed and drop out."
Steven Kiyonga the Head teacher Tapach PS says,
“Parents harass us because we provide protection for
girls who run away from home to seek protection in
schools. Every term, we lose at least 6
girls to FGM."
Denis Abura a teacher in Tapach
PS says: Once the girl is cut, her
family identifies a potential man to
marry her. ”
FGM is a crime and poses a major
health risk for girls. Convicted offenders face up
to 10 years in prison with a life imprisonment if
the victim dies. In 2010, Parliament of Uganda
passed a bill banning FGM. The United Nations
Population Fund reports that nearly 3 million
women and girls face FGM globally every year.
away, we shall have no one to teach. In this community,
when a girl turns 12 years without getting a man, some
parents consult witchdoctors to find out what the prob-
lem could be.”
Ntoroko Senior Inspector of Schools, Rev. Kibonwa
David says, "Last year, a senior two girl committed sui-
cide when the parents forced her to get married. Forced
A pupil of Lopeei PS,
enjoys boiled maize
mixed with beams
Activities like these, keep millions of children out of school
KEY MESSAGE
• Girls, say NO to early marriage
• Boys and men, do not marry young girls
• Parents, keep your daughters in school
• Law enforcement officials, ensure only
girls and boys at the right age get married

3. 3EDUTALK, September - October 2015
When parents send their children to school,
they expect teachers to be available to
teach them. Sadly, it does not always happen
this way.
Musimenta Clovis, S3, Karugutu SS Ntoroko
says, “Some teachers are not on government
payroll. They teach from one school to another.
Sometimes the teacher gets too busy and ends up
missing lessons in the next school. This brings mis-
understandings between the school management,
the students and their parents.”
Teachers in boda-boda business
In some districts like Amuru, some teachers have
taken on other businesses such as riding bodaboda.
Betty Okot from the Institute of Peace and Stra-
tegic Studies in Gulu University that carried out
the survey on conflict drivers says, "A teacher will
be teaching but when he sees passangers outside,
he is forced to abandon class to provide them trans-
port. "
Arts teachers most absent
Bambalira Deo, Bumadu Seed SS, Bundibugyo
says, "Teacher absenteeism is common among the
teachers who teach CRE, History and Fine Art. They
do not complete the syllabus in time. They want to
teach during the holiday for money. We have writ-
ten to the administration about this but they have
remained quiet.”
Long distances
In some places, teachers travel long distances
on rough terrain to go and teach. Kiyonga Ste-
phen HM Tapach PS says, "Teachers come from
distant villages. Some move more than 10km to
come to school. By the time they arrive they are
tired. The mountainous nature of this place makes
it very difficult to ride bicycles. We even miss out
during the delivery of instructional materials."
Reverend Kibonwa David the District Inspector
of schools in Ntoroko District says, "As a district,
we ensure that teachers who don’t teach for two
or more weeks without a proper reason have their
salaries blocked untill they explain their absence
from work."
Commissioner Pre-Primary and Primary Educa-
tion in the Ministry of Education, Science, Tech-
nology and Sports, Daniel Nkaada says: "Teach-
Teacher absenteeism:
shatters learners' dreams By Ronald Omara,
A teacher at Crane High School, Kampala
We live in highly dynamic and competitive
world. The economy is not getting any bet-
ter. Meanwhile, there are mouths to feed, bills to
pay and things to buy just to stay alive. Teachers
struggle to get along with the hard times, and
several times at an inconvenience.
Many teachers have to travel long distances, or
teach in several schools just to make ends meet.
Sometimes we end up in difficult situations that
cause us to become inefficient and miss lessons.
If you live far away from your work station,
• Open up to your supervisor from the start and
let them know what the real situation is so that
they understand and help you accordingly.
• Ask the person in charge of the time table to
programme you so that your time and days of
work do not render you inefficientcy.
• Build a solid friendship with colleagues.
Such friends sit in for you when you are
unable to teach, or when you get caught up
somewhere. Some might even offer temporary
accommodation when the need arises.
• Work out how long it takes to get to school and
set off in good time allowing for delays and
eventualities such as rain and traffic.
• Develop a routine that you can follow off head
so that you do not get stuck. Know which
routes to take to save time, perhaps even which
specific bodaboda rider to use. Also know what
materials to carry so that you do not end up
taking the wrong notes or scripts to the wrong
school.
• Find a lockable place to keep all your books
and materials so that you do not keep moving
around with them and risk destroying them in
rain if not losing them completely.
• Go the extra mile
whenever called
upon to make up for
times when it might
be difficult to deliver.
Volunteer or take up
extra responsibility
and prove that if it
was not for distance,
you would be perhaps
even better than those
living close to school.
Be honest about
your situation
ers who love what they do will come to school and
teach pupils regardless of distance. It surprises that
even teachers who live in the teachers' quarters can
decide to sleep in their houses during class hours.
Headteachers should be a good example but un-
fortunately some do not come to work every day.
School Management Committees, play your role of
monitoring schools."
Nkaada adds that every year, the
government disburses funds
for construction of teacher’s
houses but this money is not
enough to construct for all the
teachers houses. According to
2013 Service Delivery Indicators
report by the World Bank, more
than 60% of teachers were not
in classroom teaching by the time of the survey. The
report adds that 24% of the teachers were absent
from school while 29% were in school but not in
class teaching. The other 6% were in class but not
teaching.
Things to do when your
teachers are absent
• Avoid spending your time gossiping and
making noise. Be productive even when
your teachers are away.
• Revise your notes
• Hold discussions on different topics
• Do your assignments
• Participate in co-curricular activities, crafts,
sports or music dance and drama
PEACE DAY!
Monday 21, September, 2015 is a national day of
‘Teaching and Learning for Peace’
Teachers across the country are encouraged to raise awareness amongst
children of the core values and behaviours that contribute to the
wellbeing of their school and community.
What are you doing to promote peace in your community?
Write to PO Box 22366, Kampala

4. EDUTALK, September - October 20154
Straight Talk FOUNDATION 4 Acacia Ave, PO Box 22366, Kampala (U) Tel: 0312-262030/1,
E-mail: info@straightalkfoundation.org, Web: www.straighttalkfoundation.org, Executive Director: Susan Ajok,
MassMedia Manager: M Akello, Editors: Sylvia Akol, J Nafula, Designer: M Kalanzi (MeBK), Funded by unicef
Warriors’ Squad,
instills a peace culture
among youth
In Karamoja youth used to
train children using hate
speeches. To change this,
Warriors’ Squad formed child
led peace groups to restore
peace. The Program Manager,
Dorcus Salam says, “We have four Peace Clubs
in four schools. We hold debates on peace. We
mainly target girls and boys aged 12-17. The chil-
dren present drama on themes around conflict.
We have formed Child Protection Committees to
report issues to police so that we better child pro-
tection.
Additionally, we host radio talk shows with chil-
dren, hold meetings with the police and other in-
terest groups to discuss peace.
The number of days a student spends at school are far more than those they spend at
home with their parents. Teachers therefore play a critical role in grooming children
into peace loving citizens. Show and teach children peaceful ways of thinking and be-
haviour. This will help them confront their biases, and create meaningful and violent free
relationships with one another.
Make your school a ‘Peace Zone’
Restoring peace
through Community
Barazas
Each one has a role
to play in promoting
peace. The individuals,
families, schools and the
community can do a lot
to prevent conflicts.
The Forum for Education
NGO Network in Ugan-
da (FENU) is engaging
community members in
restoring and promoting
peace in different com-
munities.
FENU’s Advocacy Officer, Robert Luswata says:
We conduct Community Barazas and radio talk
shows to sensitize the community about the ben-
efits of peace towards a child’s education. This is
done at the district level where we invite people
such as opinion leaders, School Management
Committees, religious leaders, PTA Chairper-
sons, including the pupils to attend the Commu-
nity Barazas
During barazas, communities share issues that
affect them without having to blame anyone and
together they come up with solutions.
The parties normally acknowlege their role in the
conflict.They listen to one another. In Bundibu-
gyo, a Peace Committee was set up at every sub
county to further this campaign. The situation is
improving. We have also identified peace actors
who can resolve conflicts within the community.
Scouting for
local solutions to
conflicts
As their Motto suggests, scouts are always pre-
pared to deal with any problem at hand. In
Bundibugyo, scouts are carrying out Community
sentisation on the benefits of peace.
Caroline Ajulong, the District Executive Commis-
ser, Uganda Scouts Association says: We preach
love messages and encourage students to love
one another and co-exist. We encourage stu-
dents to mix up with different tribes. The tension
between different tribes has reduced. We also
have trips for exposure to different places. Expo-
sure is critical in peace building. Peace is your
right. Cooperate with teachers. Report any body
who violates your rights.
Be good role models: Teach in ways that allow children to
actively learn and express themselves. Display peaceful
behaviour at all times when managing a classroom. Do
what you say and believe in.
Avoid corporal punishment and use alternative means of
disciplining such as removal of privileges to give children
time to think about what they have done so they can appre-
ciate their mistake. Treat your pupils with respect in order
for them to respect others.
Set classroom rules together with the learners on the first
day of the year. Ask the students to come up with rules that
they think can enable them to study in a peaceful environ-
ment. These rules must be accompanied by a penalty and
the learners must be a ware of it.
Reward disciplined learners so that they act as an example
to the rest. Make classrooms in your school mixed in terms
of ethnicity, religion, races, and cultures. This will give the
learners the opportunity to interact with other children, and
make them appreciate diversity.
• Do not tolerate any kind of bullying.
• Remember, children are watching your every move, and
learn more from what you do than what you say.
Ntoroko Senior Inspector of schools, Rev. Kibonwa David.
During Barazas,
communities
share issues
that affect them
without having
to blame anyone
and together
they come up
with solutions