Why and how affordable education and local knowledge matter today

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OPINION

By Irene Bisasso Hoem

My dear friend Kintu (not his real name) recently reached out to me in distress. He asked, “Irene Bisasso, did you attend expensive elite schools?” When I replied no, he was surprised. “But you studied at Makerere, NTNU, and Yale.” I explained that I attended public primary schools and affordable private-public secondary schools before joining Makerere University.

Kintu shared his concerns about his wife, Nambi (not her real name), wanting to send their children to costly schools, they can’t afford, believing success depends on Western education. Nambi feared societal judgment if they opted for affordable schools. I responded, “Mukwano, ekyo sikya buntubulamu (that is not responsible). Worrying for 20 years about expensive education may impact your family’s basic needs like housing, and health bills. Take them to schools you can afford and supplement with local knowledge.”

The value of local knowledge

Kintu asked, “local knowledge?” I explained, “Your local language, coffee farming skills, and Obuntubulamu philosophy—I am because we are.” Uganda is the second-largest coffee producer in Africa, and we rank 10 in the World (USAID, FAO 2018). Shouldn’t your children know about your coffee skills, as transferable skills?

Parents and grandparents: The first teachers

As a teacher, I’ve taught students from various continents, but I firmly believe parents and grandparents are the most important educators. My mother, Owekitibwa Grace N. Bisasso, was my first teacher and still my teacher, instilled Obuntubulamu in me, and I now frame it within the Ubuntu philosophy and pedagogy at Yale and NTNU.

Kintu, have I told you exciting news—I have been invited to speak at the International Student Festival in Trondheim (ISFIT 2025) on decolonizing education! The workshop, Inequity in Knowledge Production, will feature European professors, and I will contribute using African indigenous philosophies, particularly Obuntubulamu. This knowledge, rooted in my upbringing in Nakaseke, from the community is as valuable as Western education.

A practical appeal to parents and society

Education is a fundamental right for every child (see UNCRC, Articles 28 & 29; SDG 4; see also the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, ACRWC) but how we approach it matters.

I am not a math teacher, but I tell my children that math is present in everything we do. So, let’s work on some math together Kintu, and then you will try with your wife Nambi.

Kintu, consider this financial reality of the typical educational journey in Uganda

• Nursery: 3 years
• Primary: 7 years
• Secondary: 6 years
• University: 3-5 years

That’s 19-21 years of schooling. Now, multiply by the number of children and current fees. Have you factored in school requirements? One of my village children’s school lists included 8 black books, a ream of duplicating paper, a dozen pencils, and household supplies like Jik and a squeezer. While children need these, some lists are excessive.

The degree debt trap

Another friend mentioned taking loans for their children's education from relatives. Borrowing for 20 years is unsustainable. Unlike Norway and the USA, where student loans exist for higher education with flexible repayment, Ugandan families often struggle to repay primary and secondary school debts. Some parents fund education only to later support their unemployed graduate children.

Western education assumes financial independence after graduation, but in Uganda, the Baganda proverb Omwana takula awali bazadde be (You remain a child while your parents are alive) reflects the obuntubulamu principle of interdependence.

Decolonising education and the "chore curriculum"

Kintu we both know many successful people who didn’t attend expensive schools but gained wisdom through community engagement. Education must extend beyond the classroom. As a lecturer at NTNU, I always tell students about transformative learning through the "chore curriculum," where children acquire life skills by participating in daily tasks.

We often undervalue local knowledge. Maasai children tend livestock, Bolivian and Ugandan children farm, and Sami children herd reindeer. These practices are crucial for holistic development and meaningful participation (see UNCRC, Articles 28 & 29) and regarding children’s 3 Rs (responsibility, rights, and reciprocity see the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child) these 3 Rs align with Obuntubulamu philosophy.

Rethinking education and local knowledge

The world often prioritizes prestigious education, but true education begins with understanding ourselves and our environments. In Norway, nursery children learn indigenous Viking-winter survival skills through outdoor play which is why while in other countries like my experience in the USA, where schools can be closed due to snow, in Norway, it is almost unheard of because they utilize their indigenous knowledge knowing their country is a Winterland.

As they grow, they are taught to apply technology within their contexts and local language. Meanwhile, many children in Uganda learn about Europe, World Wars, and thank God, now technology but without contextualizing these subjects in their own realities and local languages. They often lack knowledge about their local communities and economies— such as coffee production, which generates sente (money), or cattle and matooke farming, which helps Uganda avoid famine.

A call to action: Redefining success

Kintu, I am a mother too, and I completely understand Nambi’s concerns. As parents, we are always under pressure to do what is best for our children. But what I want to emphasize is that education holds immense power—it should be as accessible as any other basic need.

I am not against expensive schools if you can afford them, nor am I against western education or discussing how many children one should have. However, we must critically assess our educational choices. Success should not be measured solely by prestigious schools but by the diverse knowledge, life skills, values, and joy we cultivate in our children.

By redefining success, we can create an inclusive education system—one that honours different ways of knowing and ensures that children thrive. Education should liberate, not confine, both parents and children. We must recognize and value local knowledge and indigenous philosophies, like Obuntubulamu, which says, I am because we are alongside formal education.

Good luck, Kintu! Thank you for sharing, and I hope my perspectives can help you to have a meaningful conversation with your dear wife, Nambi.

The writer is a PhD Scholar, Researcher, and Teacher, Educational Sciences and Childhood Studies, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
Postgraduate Fellow, Yale University, USA