Letter of the week: Privatising education risky
Aug 16, 2008
I took keen interest in Phenehas Tukamwesiga’s letter of August 12 on the state of public universities in Uganda. While i agree that the state has failed in its obligation to finance higher education, I disagree with him on the issue of privatising these institutions.
I took keen interest in Phenehas Tukamwesiga’s letter of August 12 on the state of public universities in Uganda. While i agree that the state has failed in its obligation to finance higher education, I disagree with him on the issue of privatising these institutions.
Commodification of education has been one of the biggest accelerating factors for Makerere’s woes. Higher education should not be compromised. Education left to the private sector is as dangerous as extinction of national values.
The calls for the privatisation of halls of residence at Makerere have been looming for sometime and there seems to be a correlation between the conditions of halls and the need for privatisation. With the rise of huge hostel investments around Makerere, one fears for the worst.
Someone seems to be eager to share in the spoils. There are fears that the failure to finance public institutions as a result of government prioritisation is delibarate to provide incentive to privatisation. The loser will be the peasant. Wherever privatisation has set foot, it has always been the mwanainchi to suffer!
Moses Kalanzi
Makerere University
Commodification of education has been one of the biggest accelerating factors for Makerere’s woes. Higher education should not be compromised. Education left to the private sector is as dangerous as extinction of national values.
The calls for the privatisation of halls of residence at Makerere have been looming for sometime and there seems to be a correlation between the conditions of halls and the need for privatisation. With the rise of huge hostel investments around Makerere, one fears for the worst.
Someone seems to be eager to share in the spoils. There are fears that the failure to finance public institutions as a result of government prioritisation is delibarate to provide incentive to privatisation. The loser will be the peasant. Wherever privatisation has set foot, it has always been the mwanainchi to suffer!
Moses Kalanzi
Makerere University