Curriculum To Be Job Oriented – Museveni

By Joyce Namutebi PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has proposed that the next curriculum should enable students to take on professions that will enable them get employment on completion of their studies. Museveni was on Tuesday addressing a rally at Kitete in Gulu, Mukono Town Council. He said the local councillors will not be allowed to administer the Entandikwa credit scheme money because politicians fear to demand money back from debtors. Museveni said employment was one of the vital aspects that the youth required. However, he said, it depended on which profession one studied. He said some people study for a purpose. He said studying subjects like English and Arabic would offer very few jobs. He caused laughter when he said some people take on degrees in Literature. "What Shakespeare said can't help us here. What we need here is a doctor," Museveni said. He said Uganda needs 46,000 doctors to achieve the ratio Britain enjoys of one doctor to 500 patients. Museveni said under the Movement Government, the ratio of doctor to patient came to 1:18,000 from 1:23,000. "We have 1,500 qualified doctors. The jobs for doctors are there but they are not there," he said at the rally attended by the Minister of Agriculture, Kisamba Mugerwa, Brig. Katumba Wamala and district officials. He said in the proposed technical schools and secondary schools per sub-county, emphasis would be put on professions that would enable people get jobs. Museveni also proposed that graduated tax payers would individually deliver graduated tax to their sub-counties. He said he would direct all districts not to make people with meagre earnings pay excessive graduated tax. He proposed a minimum of sh3,000. He criticised those who excite people by saying they would abolish graduated tax. "It is important for everyone to make a contribution to the development of the country," he said. Ends