School Laboratory Technician Course

This course is now offered on line by Uganda Laboratory Foundation

The course equips School laboratory technicians with knowledge and skills of using, handling, storing, maintaining  and safe disposal of Laboratory chemicals and apparatus and ensuring safety of students in the Science Laboratories. This is vital during their work of teaching practical work to their students.

Duration: 2 years (official) but variable depending on the ability of the student.

Cost: Two million Uganda shillings (2,000,000/=) for Ugandans,

Terms of payment:

First installment not less than 700,000/=

Application fee: 50000/=

Payment Details

Account Name: Bbosa David Science

Account Number: 1005102677519

Bank: Equity Bank Kayunga Branch

 

Legibility

At least Two passes in any O-level science subjects and/math or a pass in A-level science subject

Award:

A certificate  of School Laboratory Technicians of Education

Uganda Laboratory Foundation is licensed teach School Laboratory Technicians by the ministry of Education and sport, Directorate of Industrial Training, Certificate No 119 since 2005

The teachers of Uganda Laboratory foundation have a long teaching experience of over 20 years in a school laboratories for physics, chemistry, and biology and this is very crucial in promotion of science in the country.

Employment:

Job opportunities are enormous; School Laboratory technicians are employed to manage secondary school science laboratories. There are over 30,000 public secondary schools and  over 16,000 private secondary schools in Uganda in need of School Laboratory  Technicians and the number of schools is exponentially increasing annually.

Justification for the course of School Laboratory technician course

Every secondary school require at least one School Laboratory Technician

• to assist the Science teachers  with the laborious laboratory work
• School Laboratory Technicians are  adequately trained with enough knowledge, skills and ethics to handle the teaching of science practicals in schools with little or no supervision from a subject teacher.
• Schools with trained School Laboratory Technicians are showing consistently superior performance in science subjects compared to those without.
• Schools requires a qualified personnel to manage and account for expensive apparatus and chemicals in their school laboratories.

Remunerations

Government scale for School Laboratory technicians is averages from 734,000 UGX per month (starting salary) to 2,540,000 UGX per month (maximum salary).

 

Course outcome

Laboratory Technicians with adequate knowledge, skills and ethics to deliver science practical knowledge to students in the secondary schools.

Legibility

At least Two passes in any O-level science subjects and/math

Duration 9 months (6 months teaching, 3 moths school practice) but online course is variable

 

Course objectives

To equip School Laboratory Technician with skills to

• Teach practical skills to the students in the science subjects (physic, chemistry, biology)
• Manage the apparatus in the laboratory
• ensure safety of the school laboratory
• handle emergencies and offer First Aid in the laboratories
• Handle accountability of apparatus and chemical

Examination structure

Four examinations each 2 hours are provided to test the competence  of the technician or by ongoing assessments or both

They include

• Principles of school laboratory Management
• Method of Physics Practical Teaching
• Method of Chemistry Practical Teaching
• Method of Biology Practical Teaching
• Teaching Practice

Course content

• Physic practical methods

Abilities be developed

(a) To be able to teach accurately the  measurements using various laboratory equipment including

• Ruler
• Micrometer screw gauge
• Vernier clippers
• Stop watch
• Stop clock
• Protractor
• Weighing balance
• Voltmeter
• Ammeter
• Galvanometer

(b) To be able to guide students during light practical interpreting  light  diagrams, supplying students with relevant apparatus throughout the lesson.  These apparatus may include

•   Plane mirrors
• Glass blocks
• Glass prisms
• Curved mirrors
• Lenses

(c) To be able to guide students during mechanics practical lesson, interpreting  relevant diagrams, and  supplying students with relevant apparatus   These apparatus and manipulations may include

• Retort stand, boss and clamp
• Tying
• Swings
• Moments
• Counting
• Nullified spring
• Pendulum bod
• Rulers
• Weighing
• Measuring

(d) To be able to interpret practical instructions, making correct and accurate observations, presentation of results using tables,  graphs, manipulating calculations  and drawing conclusion

• Chemistry practical methods

Abilities be developed

(a) Skills for using various apparatus in the chemistry lab during the qualitative and quantitative analyses.

• Measuring cylinders
• Conical flasks
• Beakers
• Burets
• pipettes
• weighing scales

(b) To be able to interpret practical instructions, making correct observations, presentation of results using  Tables,    and drawing conclusion

(c) to be trained in mole concept in order to guide students in calculations during the titration practical.

 

• Biology practical methods

 (a) the learner should develop skill in drawing laboratory specimens

(b) to carry out practical involving

1. Classification: Leaves, Flowers, Fruits, Invertebrates, Feathers Bones
2. Food test: involving identification of  starch, reducing sugars, non-reducing sugars, proteins, lipids, vitamin S
3. Quantification of vitamin C
4. Handling and interpretation of practical dealing with enzymes
5. Dissections, rat, frog/toad and cockroach

 

• Principles of school laboratory Management knowledge of

1. Laboratory design
2. Laboratory installations
3. Prevention and management of accidents
4. First Aids
5. Timetabling
6. Planning, purchase, accountability of chemicals and laboratory equipment

REQUIREMENTS:

1. A pass slip for O- or A-level with at least two passes in any two science subjects.
2. Stationery for personal use i.e. 4 black books, Geometry set, transparent long ruler, Calculator, 2 pencils, 4 black or blue pens sharpener, a rubber, 1Art book
3. Filled Student Information’s Form

 

Course management

The course is run on the principle of “production learning”

1. A student identified a nearby secondary school with a Uganda National Examination Board center number ( or with minimum laboratory requirements at secondary level)
2. The managements of Uganda Laboratory foundations and the school agree on the financial  terms
3. then the teachers of Uganda Laboratory Foundation sends are series activities as per course content and are performed accordingly by the students
4. at the end of the lesson a student is required to do the examination and and a warded a certificate up on successful completion

 

 

Photographs of School Laboratory technicians who Excelled