Students in Uganda have been scoring low in science exams, and teachers are working hard to change those results.

Schools for Schools (S4S) held its first chemistry teachers’ review meeting to equip teachers from Invisible Children’s 11 partner schools with skills that will improve students’ grades in science.

The teachers strongly welcomed the training and were thrilled to learn about new developments in the science curriculum that they had not known about, like updates to the Periodic Table of the Elements.

A number of issues were addressed, like teachers focusing too much on exams and not enough on making sure that students understand the subject. In addition, teachers were encouraged to spark the interest of their students so that science will become a subject they enjoy.

Having teachers who are excited about their subject is a good start. Otoo Steven, a chemistry teacher at Sacred Heart and Sir Samuel Baker, has been looking forward to this training since January.  “I can’t wait to share what I have learned with my students,” he says.

-Germina