Help rural girls access higher education
May 19, 2009
FROM THE EDITOR<br><br>It is nearly 20 years since the Government implemented the 1.5 free points scheme for girls joining university. The objective was to increase the number of female candidates admitted at the higher education level. This is justifia
FROM THE EDITOR
It is nearly 20 years since the Government implemented the 1.5 free points scheme for girls joining university. The objective was to increase the number of female candidates admitted at the higher education level. This is justifiable, given that in the past, society dictated that a boy’s education was far more important than a girl’s education.
However, the policy seems to discriminate girls in rural schools. In this year’s admissions boys dominate 75% of the government sponsored admissions which are science- based. The other 25% mainly arts are dominated by females, mostly from schools like Namugongo, Namagunga and Nabisunsa. Girls from urban schools will often enjoy the 1.5 points scheme because they have adequate facilities in place, compared to the girl in a rural school where things like textbooks are a luxury.
Urban schools have about 40 students on state scholarships. So a girl who got say, 10 points from the war-torn northern Uganda cannot compete with one from Nabisunsa, yet that is probably the best that she could get under the circumstances. The same girl cannot compete for the coveted 75% science slots, when there is no laboratory at her school. Neither can she compete for the district quota system because it gives out only 11 scholarships per district, which have to be shared between both boys and girls.
Stakeholders in the education ministry should review the scheme such that the needs of the rural based school girls are particularly catered for. That way, they will compete ably with their urban counterparts to enter university.
It is nearly 20 years since the Government implemented the 1.5 free points scheme for girls joining university. The objective was to increase the number of female candidates admitted at the higher education level. This is justifiable, given that in the past, society dictated that a boy’s education was far more important than a girl’s education.
However, the policy seems to discriminate girls in rural schools. In this year’s admissions boys dominate 75% of the government sponsored admissions which are science- based. The other 25% mainly arts are dominated by females, mostly from schools like Namugongo, Namagunga and Nabisunsa. Girls from urban schools will often enjoy the 1.5 points scheme because they have adequate facilities in place, compared to the girl in a rural school where things like textbooks are a luxury.
Urban schools have about 40 students on state scholarships. So a girl who got say, 10 points from the war-torn northern Uganda cannot compete with one from Nabisunsa, yet that is probably the best that she could get under the circumstances. The same girl cannot compete for the coveted 75% science slots, when there is no laboratory at her school. Neither can she compete for the district quota system because it gives out only 11 scholarships per district, which have to be shared between both boys and girls.
Stakeholders in the education ministry should review the scheme such that the needs of the rural based school girls are particularly catered for. That way, they will compete ably with their urban counterparts to enter university.