Mr President, we are going to see more of Nakaseke Polytechnic

By David Jacob

In line with the National Development Plan (NDP) goals, the education sector aims at equitable, accessible, affordable and quality delivery of education and training to Ugandans. The mission of the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Sports (MoESTS) is "to provide for, support, guide, coordinate, regulate and promote quality education and sports to all persons in Uganda for national integration, individual and national development."

The overall performance of the Vote for Financial year 2014/15, the MoESTS planned to improve the quality of teaching and learning through provision of infrastructure and furniture to three selected primary schools in each of the seven districts of Karamoja (i.e Moroto, Nakapiripirit, Kotido, Abim, Amudat, Napak,and Kabong), and make these schools Centres of Excellence (CE) in these Districts. The total project budget allocation for construction/refurbishment and furniture was Ug shs 29 billion. Fourteen out of the 21 schools in the seven districts were monitored. All the 14 primary schools in the seven districts of Karamoja were completed and handed over in August 2015. The quality of civil works was very good. The planned targets were achieved (Annual Monitoring

 Report
FY 2014/15 OCTOBER 2015, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development). After getting such a benefit from the government, has the situation improved and if not why? Was the infrastructure the most disadvantage to the area (Karamoja)?

The same report also highlights the Good performance noted in Development of BTVET (Project 0942): The total OFID funding for the project was Ug shs 75.97 billion of which Ug shs 58.21 billion (76.6%) was released and Ug shs 58.14billion (99.9%) spent. On the other hand, the GoU counterpart funding was Ug shs 8.69 billion of which Ug shs 7.78 billion (96.6%) was released and Ug shs 8.14 billion (104%) spent. Nine new technical institutes located in nine districts (i.e. Amuria, Hoima, Kamuli, Lwengo, Mukono, Nakasongola, Namutumba, Pader and Yumbe) were constructed and equipped. Overall, the quality of civil works under OFID projects was good. The annual targets for this output were achieved.

Under vote 0942: Development of BTVET (Business Technical Vocational and Educational Training) the districts of  Sheema, Mubende, Arua, Kole, Jinja, Kannungu, Kaberamaido, Mbale, Kamwenge,Iganga, Kayunga, Masaka,Namutumba, Oyam, Kasese, Mbarara, Butambala, Mukono, Lira, Lwengo, Kiruhura, Luweero, Gulu, Kamuli, Masaka, Manafwa benefited from the fund.

Under Vote 0971 Development of TVET P.7 Arua, Sheema, Kanungu, Manafwa, Sembabule, Kamwenge among others also benefited from the fund. This is not the only funding captured during the financial year above but to take the above as a basis for background.

According to the statistical information in the MoES and Science, the traditional Uganda technical colleges of Kicwamba -Kabarole in SW Uganda, UTC Bushenyi, UTC Elgon, UTC Lira and Kyambogo University have benefited from ADB funding for further expansion.

It is very clear that technical education has been supported by Government for both infrastructure and recruitment of instructors. I am not privy to information for the equipment supplied to these institutions but some equipment was also part of the deliverables.

Therefore, the Government should not put much more funding in building more infrastructure at these institutions but do a thorough planning to ensure that what is already available is put to optimum use. Let me quote a district like greater Bushenyi, it has a UTC-Bushenyi situated in Igara East, Kyamuhunga technical institute in Igara West, Kabira in Ruhinda, Karera technical in Sheema. In every subcounty in Igara east, there is already a program which was initiated by Hon Amanya Mushega and Hon Dr Nduhuura to have a technical school in each sub-county.

These are Bumbaire Kyeizooba, Kyeitembe and Kyabugimbi. Only Bumbaire and Kyeizooba started and were taken over by government while Kyeitembe and Kyabugimbi will start soon. These technical schools teach carpentry,plumbing, bricklaying, electrical, shoe making, welding and tailoring. Although the infrastructure is there, no class has ever registered more than 35 students in each discipline.

The question is: Do we need more technical schools? Why is the enrolment so low? Shoemaking and tailoring (Kyamuhunga) has NEVER registered more than 7 and 10 students respectively in any intake and none in some cases. Should the government keep these instructors on payroll or suspend these courses or delete them in the syllabus? How are the instructors monitored, the content they teach administered? Are the technical schools inspected by inspectors?

I spent 3 years in technical but I don't remember seeing a district inspector at least once at the college. They left this role to college / institute principals yet it is a very important aspect in improving student performance. Do we have willing students who have failed to join the technical schools because they are still few in number? Are the technical schools filled to their capacities that we have surplus who have nowhere to join?

Technical education cannot be planned and run like primary education. In primary, every child must attend primary school but technical education is a choice. Therefore, planning to construct a technical school in every sub-county will be a wastage of resource. I have never met anyone lamenting that he has failed to join a technical college. One may fail to get a particular course of his choice but won't fail to secure an alternative.  New vision October 12, 2016, (By Fredrick Kiwanuka) reported "Nakaseke Polytechnic fails to get students".

The sh10b modern institute opened this year, is supposed to admit 600 students for certificate courses in plumbing, welding, motor vehicle mechanics, agriculture, bricklaying, among others, but according to principal, the school has only 60 students. The District inspector attributed low enrollment to inadequate preparation, advocacy and sensitisation among the parents.

The institute has only four instructors (academic) principal inclusive despite the fact that the school is fully equipped and operational. According to principal, private students pay sh600,000 tuition fee per term. This is very high for rural students. The question arises, how does the school operate on a mere 60 students?

Let me suggest this;

1. That government realigns itself to providing equitable affordable education, paying high tuition in technical schools is unrealistic.
2. Refrain from building more technical schools in every sub-county because technical education is a different model
3. Recruit more instructors and even poach from developed countries and ensure they are paid well
4. Technical education needs technical people to plan for it. No better person knows to plan for the laboratory than the lab attendant.
5. Equip all technical schools with the right equipment. Principals are left to procure materials of their choice for practical lessons/exams and may not measure to standard if not breed corruption least to say.
6. Money sent to technical schools from the center does not reach as a "whole", some is left on the door steps of the ministry.
7. Inspectors of schools are not engaged in planning for technical schools therefore do not know any activities performed at various technical schools.
8. Government should engage private sector to form a hybrid for proper partnerships since they are the ones driving the economy for both production and services.
9. Develop and elevate the certification to degree level. This is the most important thing to motivate the choice and give them hope that they too can reach the education highest academic achievement even when they study technical. If one can get a degree in development studies, music, fine art then why not a degree in welding, masonry or carpentry?!
10. The government to channel the funding for new infrastructure and use it for renovating the existing infrastructure, buy enough equipment, training materials and an after-completion package, call it a toolbox that gives a student "Entandikwa".
11. Have exchange programs for both students and instructors with other countries to cope up with new innovations and use of appropriate technologies.
12. Introduce and make mandatory practical lessons in both O'level and A'level for orientation and skill development and enhancement

Uganda is strategically positioned to produce the best skill, produce competitive products for the region only if we are ready to realign our energies towards 2040 vision. Uganda is endowed with natural forests with the best timber in Africa. If we tap our resources well, we shall never again import this cheap furniture made from wood chippings from china. We should strive to make our own brand of furniture just like South Korea did with Samsung electronics. We can export the best of furniture to the whole world very competitively. When we have the best timber from our own forests, have opportunity to import from DRC forests then we should be able to start exporting our products to AGOA and other regional blocks. This is we can do ourselves. The time is now. To achieve our vision objective by 2040 this is one of the tenable venture that can generate both employment for our youth and export to get foreign earning.

The writer is a technical / ICT practitioner