Irish Aid Fellowship opens doors for a Primary School Head Teacher

“I wish to thank Irish Aid Uganda for the Fellowship that enabled me complete my Post Graduate studies in Master of Education (MED) in Educational Leadership and Management at the Aga Khan University in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania,” said Dan.  “I have gained exposure I could only dream of as a village primary head teacher.  Irish Aid has opened doors to a brighter future for me.” 

Dan Bubale is one of the over 200 Ugandans that have so far benefitted from the Irish Aid Fellowship Training Programme (IAFTP), which aims at building capacity of organisations receiving support from Irish Aid.  Every year, Irish Aid provides an average of 14 scholarships to Ugandans. 

Before receiving the Irish Aid Fellowship, Dan was a grade 3 head teacher at a primary school in a remote part of Kayunga District, central Uganda.  He was managing 12 teachers and close to 624 students.  “At the time, I experienced challenges in administration and management.  Generally, training in these key areas is lacking in our teacher education system.” said Dan. “That is why I chose to study Educational Leadership and Management”. 

Dan gained skills in effective educational practices and is now certified to manage not only primary schools, but all education institutions at primary, secondary and tertiary levels. Currently, Dan is working as an Inspector of Schools in charge of one of the 2 counties in Kayunga District, overseeing both government and private institutions made up of 134 schools comprising of over 1200 instructors. His responsibilities include guiding head teachers in developing School Management Development Plans and implementing them, ensuring that standards are kept within the schools and dealing with human resource affairs, especially conflict management. To be able to do this, Dan has developed a monitoring tool that has been adopted by the Education Department in the district.

Dan’s colleagues testify that his presence in the education department, specifically the Inspectorate, has had a positive impact -on their work. “Dan is a very enthusiastic colleague and freely shares his knowledge” the colleagues said. Because of the fellowship’s positive impact on Dan, they are also interested in it. 

The District Education Officer and Dan’s supervisor, Ms. Alice Doya, said, “We are very proud of Dan. Dan’s training has not only benefited him but has benefited the whole Education Department here at the district. Dan is working in the biggest and hard to reach county of the district. Despite this, he has shown enthusiasm and dedication in supporting the schools in his county”.

Dan is also lecturing in Kyambogo University on a part time basis. He trains and supervises students undertaking Diplomas, Degrees, and Post-graduate courses in Education. He is also training Secondary school head teachers in leadership and management at the Aga Khan Foundation. “Dan trained us in Strategic Planning and Management ably. We have been able to make action plans which we have successfully implemented in schools. Dan is a good teacher,” said Ms Irene Nairuba, a Head teacher in Kisiki College Secondary School. 

“I have benefited at both professional and personal levels. This was my first time travelling by plane. During our training, we also had a chance to travel to other countries in Africa and Asia. This gave me exposure to international standards of leadership and management,” said Dan. Dan’s livelihood has improved, as he now has other streams of income as a result of his training. Dan is also very excited about the newly acquired skills in ICT which are keeping him relevant in his new functions. “Although I had initially wanted to study in Ireland, I am grateful that my course was in East Africa. I now appreciate our regional universities better. Besides, I was close enough to handle some personal issues that arose when my father passed away,” said Dan.

Dan’s experience in his area of work has greatly advanced and positively impacted him and those around him. Exactly what the Irish Aid Fellowship Programme is aimed at facilitating. Well done Dan!