English Department
Staffing:
1. Miss. Stella Kiryabwire Head of Department
2. Miss Erina Musoke
3. Mrs. Rebecca Kiwanuka
4. Mr. Edison Walusimbi
5. Mrs. Deborah Katimbo
6. Miss. Susan Namelefe
7. Mr. Godfrey Azahura
8. Mr. Gastervus Kakaire
9. Mrs. Yayeri Kakulira
How the English Department is run.
The English Department is responsible for the teaching of the English Language together with Literature in English . in the School
We have a store (room) within the main Library block where all the English and Literature books are kept. There is an attendant who helps give out the books to various streams. Each class has book monitors who collect, record books taken and are responsible to return them to the store.
Each term we have a departmental meeting to plan for the department. As a Department we work out the schemes for various classes as a team.
Stock
Most of the books are in good condition although for the whole of 2007 no binding was done.
The Department has a problem with the way books are handled by different streams and carried from library – hence covers of the books usually get off and pages within books.
Department Achievements
1. Students attended a number of seminars /Theatre productions both O’ level and A’
Level e.g. (a) At Trinity College Nabbingo Sat 2nd June 2007
(b) O’ level Seminar at Uganda Martyrs S.S. Namugongo sat 9th
June 2007.
(c) Students attended a Theatre production by Makerere College
School Mon 11th June 2007 both O’ and A’ Level Students watched a set play “I will marry when I want’ by Ngugi.
2. King’s College Budo hosted a O’ and A’ level seminar at the school campus on Saturday 16th June 2007. It was well attended by over thirty schools (30) with facilitators coming from Kampala, Jinja and Masaka.
3. A few members of Department met and drew up a strategic plan for the department.
4. Michael Gashumba 4D 2007 got a certificate for participating in the Commonwealth Essay Competition 2006.
5. National Book Trust Competition
- Ntumwa Dennis 5 A 3rd Country –worn in Essay writing
- Ssegawa N. Ssubi Enock 1B 8th Country –worn in short stories and Poetry. Both
received certificates for participating in the National Book Trust Competitions at a
function that was held at Garden City.
6. In 3rd Term a number of facilitators came in to help our students .
1. Miss M. Bakisuula (Makerere College School) English Composition Paper 1 ( S. 4)
2. Mrs. Etoori (Nabisunsa Girls School) Senior 6 paper 3
3. Mr. Amatre (Nabisunsa Girls School ) Senior 4 Literature
4. Mr. (Ntare SS) Senior 6 Paper 1,2, 3
5. Mr. Meddi Katende (Kawempe ) Senior 5 paper 3 a bit of paper 2,1
6. The Department was able to prepare schemes of work as a team in 1st and 2nd term
, 3rd term it was not possible.
7. Mr. G. Azahura and Miss S. Kiryabwire prepared an outline for Senior 1 and 2 English
Grammar teaching Syllabus
8. Students of Senior 2, watched “ Animal farm” by George Orwell and Senior 6 Literature also watched “King lear”
The needs of the English Department
• A computer for departmental work
• A printer
• A proper store to secure the books already available and to reduce on the damage to our books especially those that are in boxes because of lack of space. Department will need to buy a new stock of literature books for S.3 and S. 5 because the syllabus has changed.
• Department needs a room to store the computer, printer and have privacy to do departmental work as the staff room is now too small.
• Literature books at Senior 1 and 2 not enough for the large numbers.
Challenges
• Opening of the Library sometimes late so delay for 1st period.
• The system of lending out books and returning them was not very effective and a number of Literature books were not handed in at the end of 3rd term.
• Letters inviting students out for quizzes seminars writing competitions are received late to the department and so makes it hard to prepare students/transport etc in a rush.
• Procurement process is slow and we did not get computer and printer 2nd term so vote for term not utilised.
• Poor attendance of departmental meetings.
• Sometimes it is not easy to get members to decide on issues as they are not readily available.
• Tests handed in late and members not willing to adjust questions when told to. Some members not willing to correct mistakes in the marking schemes.
• Team work sometimes works but some members have an individualistic attitude.
• Books losses quite high – method to get back books from students is still not very efficient. Method of recovery still a problem.
• Main English Textbooks used by all streams e.g. . English in Use, Intergrated and Literature books are sometimes left in the classroom because of poor supervision . Students on the other hand take one or two copies from the pile and it may be very hard to get them back. In some cases the whole class has been asked to contribute towards replacing these copies.
• Large numbers has made certain activities hard. e.g. debates, frequent/weekly composition writing, skits, dramas as class control turns out to be hard.
• Carrying of textbooks from the library for every literature and grammar lesson in lower classes remains a big challenge.
• English Exam and test papers are long with long passages – so typing them remained a big challenge causing recycling of passages.
• Filling of appraisal forms has not happened this year and last year only three members did it - some having problems with agreeing on the scoring.
• Many books in boxes and room too small and the attendant has not been keen in arranging books so at times books are destroyed through termites.
• Department T.V was taken to the staff and has not been replaced by School when department wants to show literature films they borrow from the H.O.D which is very troublesome.
Way forward
• Large room for the book store to help display all the books evens those not in use.
• Increase the main English textbooks so that at least each stream has its own books for easy accountability.
• Have a person who can help with the typing of the long English passages with good speed as teachers are relatively busy throughout the term.
• Rotate the headship so that other members appreciate the challenges of leadership. This would probably improve their attitude to departmental activities.
• To review the attendat’s Salary so that she is encouraged to do a bit more in the store.
• To educate students on the value of keeping and respecting school books so that even when the find them in the dorms they can return them and when they borrow them should keep them well and return at end
Special thanks to:-
• All members of the Department
• Administration for continued support financial and providing wisdom and direction.
Stella Kiryabwire.
Head of English Department.
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