'Emphasis must be put on science and technology'

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has advocated for more emphasis  on science and technology in order to achieve the much-desired socio-economic transformation.

Addressing huge crowds gathered for the National Celebrations of the International Day of Education (IDE) 2025 at Kololo Independence Grounds, Kampala, Museveni on Tuesday, also underscored the role of social sciences in development.

He explained that "Africa was in the past colonised and lagged behind because it lacked science and technology like gunpowder. Europe acquired gunpowder when we were still using bows and arrows. Africa must never lag again in science and technology. That's why we say that in Education, emphasis must be put on science and technology, and the Artificial Intelligence (AI) you are talking about is part of that. It is not magic but the use of natural laws to solve problems. People should not fear AI because it is part of the understanding of nature and using it to solve our problems,” he said at the events ran under the theme, “AI and Education, preserving Human Agency in a world of automation”.

He further explained, “It is not like we don't need social sciences, if you study economics, you will hear of the four factors of production: land, labour, capital and entrepreneurship.  Entrepreneurship can be a humanities subject. It is not necessarily a science subject. So social science is important, the only difference is that it must have a base of science and technology.”

President Museveni also reiterated his call for the full implementation of free education in government schools. 

“Now, when we came, and as soon as peace and security were restored, we proposed to you during the elections of 1996, that we should have Universal Education for all. Unfortunately, this has not been fully implemented because of the resistance by some of the head teachers and the PTA,” he noted, according to a release from the Presidential Press Unit (PPU).

“We must ensure that there are no charges in government schools. Charges are a big bottleneck which must be stopped. You are talking about the skilling hubs and how they are helping young people who were very desperate. These are children who were locked out of school due to changes in government schools.”

On the other hand, President Museveni also called upon Western countries to be progressive and work with Africa to achieve global affluence.

“Global affluence benefits everybody,” he said.

The First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Mrs. Janet Museveni said President Museveni's participation in the events is an indication of his selfless commitment and continued support to the education sector in the quest to achieve quality and equitable education for all Ugandans.

“As we are all aware, education is a basic right that every person, irrespective of age, gender or ability, should enjoy. Indeed, the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda recognises education as a fundamental human right and a key driver of development. It is also clear that our government, through its national planning frameworks, recognises human capital development as a key priority area to propel development,” she added.

The First Lady noted that as a nation, they have localized the theme of this year’s celebrations to focus on promoting an employer-Led TVET System which is functional, effective, and efficient to meet the needs of the labour market.

“Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) offers numerous benefits, including enhanced employability, and increased economic growth and is a pathway to social mobility. TVET Programs equip individuals with critical skills and knowledge, making them more attractive to employers and driving economic development,” she said.

Furthermore, Maama Janet noted that TVET fosters a culture of continuous learning by enabling individuals to adapt to changing job market demands in line with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) No.4 which emphasizes lifelong learning.

“Additionally, TVET Training has the potential to foster inclusivity and break down barriers to employment for workers with disabilities. This goes a long way in increasing workforce participation and productivity,” she said.

She further lauded the President for supporting the development and assenting to the TVET Act 2025.

“This long-awaited law will now give strategic direction and guidance for the required reforms in the TVET Subsector.  I am happy to report that the law commenced on 15th March 2025, and the process of establishing the relevant agencies to operationalise it, such as the TVET Council and the Assessment Boards, is ongoing.”

The First Lady also thanked the President for being a great ally in skilling the youth.

 “Your Excellency, according to the recent National Population Census 2024, it is evident that the highest percentage of our population are youth, which poses a challenge of youth unemployment. Given the demands of employment, it is inevitable that the Government focuses on skilling young people to meet the demands of the world of work,” she said.

“Through the Presidential Skilling hubs, a number of out-of-school youth have been provided with relevant skills to enable them to be self-employed, and it is gratifying to know that a number of them have come up with innovations and prototypes. All that they require is more support to take them to the next level of production. If the Government can ensure that each of those young people gets a toolbox to start a small starter industry, then employing these people would be real.”

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Sports, Kedrace Turyagyenda, informed the President that this year's celebrations focused on Technical and Vocational Education and Training, which is a strategic pillar for skilling, employment, and national development.

“Over the past decade, Uganda has made remarkable progress in advancing TVET, and today's event provides an opportunity to reflect on our journey and the vision ahead of us,” she said.

The event was also attended by Ministers, Members of Parliament, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, development partners, among others.