From dependency to productivity: Can Uganda transform its youth mindset?

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OPINION

By Chance Bob

According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) 2024 census report, Uganda’s population stood at 45,905,417. Half of this population is below 18 years of age, and 23.5% are youths between 18–30 years. Yet 50.9% of these youths are not in Employment, Education, or Training (NEET).

This situation is not only economic; it is psychological. Many young people remain mentally conditioned to wait for formal employment instead of adapting, innovating, and applying practical skills for survival. This raises a critical question: Has the government done enough to reshape this mindset and actively involve youths in productive citizenship?

To answer this, we must revisit the purpose of education. Scholars have long debated what education should achieve. American philosopher John Dewey defined it as a continuous reconstruction of experience, arguing that education is not preparation for life; it is life itself. Learning, therefore, should not be confined to classrooms but connected to daily experiences and real challenges. This understanding mirrors African Traditional Society (ATS), where education was communal and practical. It was not limited to teachers; the entire community participated. Young people were taught morality, discipline, and survival skills.

They learned farming, hunting, fishing, weaving, iron smelting, and childcare. Education was contextualised and linked to the environment. As a result, unemployment was rare because every individual contributed meaningfully to community life. The shift away from this model began with the Industrial Revolution in Europe. Countries such as Britain, Germany, and France reorganised education to produce disciplined factory labour. Memorisation, obedience, punctuality, and conformity became central. Learners were trained to follow instructions rather than think independently. Over time, this model evolved into modern formal education.

In Uganda, formal schooling began around 1877 with Christian missionaries, before the British Protectorate was declared in 1894. Its aim was to produce clerks, interpreters, teachers, and administrators for colonial interests.

While the system produced disciplined workers, it discouraged creativity and enterprise. More than 140 years later, Uganda still operates largely within this inherited framework. Ugandan scholar Gertrude Othieno Othieno described this system as “the most elegant prison ever built,” because it rewards obedience more than innovation. Many graduates leave school with certificates but limited practical competence.

A business graduate, for instance, may remain unemployed while waiting for an office job instead of initiating a small enterprise. Uganda has made progress in expanding education. By June 2024, Parliament Watch (2025) reported over 51,000 primary and secondary schools, and UBOS shows a literacy rate of 72 percent. These achievements are significant. However, access alone does not guarantee relevance. Are the subjects taught aligned with Uganda’s economic realities? Is the system producing innovators or merely job seekers?

In response, the government introduced a competency-based curriculum in 2020 at the lower secondary level. The reform recognises weaknesses in the old system. However, reform on paper is insufficient. Teachers must mentor inquiry and enterprise rather than merely deliver content. Assessment should prioritise project-based learning and real community problem-solving. Agriculture, technology, and vocational skills must be central, not optional. Without consistent implementation, the reform risks changing structure without changing mindset. Yet curriculum reform alone cannot eliminate dependency. A deeper issue lies in the social prestige attached to white-collar jobs. Many youths grow up believing that success means office work and a monthly salary.

Meanwhile, agriculture, craftsmanship, mechanics, and small-scale enterprise are undervalued. Until productive labour is profitable and socially respected, dependency will persist. Strengthening local production, promoting value addition, and publicly recognising innovation can gradually reshape society’s view of success.

Ultimately, transforming Uganda’s youth mindset requires more than policy reform; it demands cultural reorientation. Education must again become a shared responsibility. Families, churches, media platforms, sports arenas, and digital spaces should complement schools in shaping attitudes toward work and responsibility.

Real-life issues such as financial literacy, discipline, resilience, and innovation must be addressed beyond textbooks. Without this collective effort, Uganda risks nurturing educated yet dependent youths. But if education is reclaimed as practical, lived, and community-driven, the country can transform its youthful population from passive job seekers into active creators of opportunity.

The writer is a third-year student of Bachelor of Arts in Education at Victoria University