The school improvement project of the Aga Khan Education Service, Uganda

This evaluative study looks at the Kampala (Uganda) Schools' Improvement Project (SIP) . The purpose of the project, which lasted from 1994 to 1997, was to improve the quality of teaching and learning in Kampala primary schools by promoting and then institutionalizing the adoption of child-centered teaching methods and resources in project schools. Project strategies involved training teachers in workshop settings, providing instructional materials to support learning, and providing on-the-job training and follow-up support for teachers. Key questions of this project evaluation were: (1) how well did SIP activities lead to achievement of the objectives? (2) what were the strengths of SIP effects in terms of teachers, schools, and the Teacher's Resource Centre? (3) what is the significance in relation to wider Ugandan education? (4) is the SIP infrastructure adequately developed to meet project needs and sustain long term impact? (5) how appropriate was the project strategy? and (6) what recommendations are suitable for further project development. Although positive results were recorded in key question areas 1 through 4, certain weaknesses were noted. It was found that teachers remained unclear about the educational objectives of the child-centered approaches being adopted. SIP implementation seemed strongest in infant classes and least effective in upper grades. Recommendations were given for addressing these difficulties and for dealing with problems regarding future sustainability of the project.