Uganda's education system needs serious overhaul

Apr 27, 2015

In discussing Uganda’s education system, one must understand what it is today, writes Patrick Kaboyo.


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By Patrick Kaboyo

In discussing Uganda’s education system, one must understand what it is today, who it is intended to serve, who it serves holistically, who is in charge of its delivery, and which key engines are responsible for its delivery both privately and publically.

We can summarily analyse Uganda’s education system as good in international schools because they offer real learning at a handsome cost. Somewhat good in some local private schools because of a mixed approach they apply in the delivery due to varied methodology.

Public schools can be rated as badly performing because a good number of them are no longer interesting centres of learning. Public schools have for long been characterised by classrooms that are without any learning aid, no practical lessons, no practical approach to teaching both science and arts, have cracked and semi coloured blackboards that cannot aid teaching and learning processes.

Learning in public schools nowadays cannot assure one of lifelong achievements but rather offer a process where one can count the number of certificates that UNEB has issued to him/her as a way of going through the system. In its delivery chain today, Uganda’s education system cannot be saved by directorates and other education organs.

In this endeavor, a widely consultative process for the review we want is inevitable. While it is true that there are a number of other players in the chain, it is prudent to know that in the review, we may ask the hard questions whether we need UNEB as it is today and what should be done to make it relevant.

Since the NCDC has completed the review of the lower secondary curriculum with many questions from the public, public concern must now be focused on assessment and examination review. As drivers for the delivery of the education we want, we need to learn from our past and proportionately involve the community, spend a lot of resources to serve and offer lifelong dividends.

If standards are adhered to fully, all products of any education system will be on the market with right skills, attitude and knowledge to contribute to the world of work.

In tandem with an assessment and examination review that is long overdue, the education sector must avoid the dilemma of moving sideways but rather stick to forward movement. The 1992 Education whitepaper has outlived its usefulness, and must be reviewed. Now 22 years down the road without a review is unacceptable.

While it is true that polices may be written and others not, Government must borrow a leaf from a good number of private international schools that have a clearly written philosophy of education upon which their education service delivery is anchored to help better the sector.

The 1997 UPE framework has never been reviewed to-date and the capitation as agreed upon then, has remained the same must be reviewed urgently. Now 17 years down the road, we are still stuck to the 1997 guidelines with reducing unit costs for capitation grant and education financing generally. What a shame! The USE programme that is now six years without a review though implemented with difficulties must be reviewed as well.

The Early Childhood Development Policy that has outlived its timeframe for review must be reviewed. The Education sector strategic plan that is nearing its expiry must lead us into a discussion of what we want to see in ten years from when it expires with clear technical and honest input from all stakeholders.

Uganda National examinations Board must also be checked as part of a rusty wheel. The current development of discussing the UNEB Act 1983 for amendment without involving stakeholders must be a concern for all. It should be of interest to all Ugandans to ask whether we are comfortable with UNEB’s style of assessment in judging others as failures when in the real sense, the other part of one’s life is not fully assessed for certification.

 The wheel upon which the education chain must rotate has rusted and does not need oiling but urgent replacement.

The writer is the Executive Director of Coalition of Uganda Private School Teachers Association COUPSTA
director@coupsta.org

 

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