Gov't to emphasis the need for soft skills in training institutions

Dec 11, 2017

The white paper just as the public service policy, emphasis the need for soft skills in training institutions.

The ministry of education and sports has been challenged to align the current education in higher institutions of learning to recommendations made by the education review commission that was chaired by the late. Prof. Senteza Kajubi. 

The move will create an education system which addresses specific needs for the public service jobs and the labor market in general. As for now, there is a feeling among the public that the current education system is too theoretical and yet labor market needs require hands on skills coupled with integrity.

The call was made by Dr.Lazarus Nabaho, Head of Government Studies at the Uganda Management Institute (UMI) recently during a public dialogue on the Role of education systems in shaping the quality of public service in the country, at UMI.

"Current education system is not addressing issues of values and attitudes towards work which are biggest problem in public service delivery," Nabaho said.

He added  that clients are poor handled by public servants, there is a general lack of commitment to service, an indication that skills being imparted at times are not relevant to what the job market needs and that  is affecting service delivery.

He further explained that one of the 18 generic competences for African Higher Education is called Ubuntu, which calls for fair treatment including respect for fellow human beings.

"Today believe the focus of education is on academic excellence and not character excellence that is why there are increased cases of corruption, where people are denied services just because they haven't given in some money," Nabaho added.

To reverse the trend, Nabaho said putting into practice recommendations of the Education White paper that was compiled from Kajubi' commission will improve the quality of public service.

The white paper just as the public service policy, emphasis the need for soft skills in training institutions. 

Soft skills include problem solving, analytical, a lifelong learner while subject skills include a doctor who learns how to inject or clean wounds or operate upon someone, as emphasized by the white paper.

The paper describes the general aims of education, in addition to priorities like patriotism, ethics, integrity which are now lacking in most public institutions hence corruption, adds Nabaho.

He was backed by Abubakar Muhammad Moki, from the office of the president, who said the current education system is in need of soft skills.

"The problem is not poor education but the lack of soft skills where by a public servant doesn't know what is required of them, instead they think they are doing a client a favor," said Moki.

An official from the Police, called on academicians to take some of the soft skills to police training schools adding that the police has on many occasions been accused of corruption, unethical in their dealings among others.

Officiating at the event, minister of state for Gender Peace Mutuuzo commended UMI for holding such debates which she said will help in influencing the development agenda of the education sector.

"Am happy to note that Uganda Management Institute is engaging us through such public debates to examine topics that are critical in driving Uganda's economy and improving the quality of our population through improved service delivery," said Mutuuzo.

She added that government is cognizant of the fact that quality Education and Skilling are extremely critical in the transformation of society, adding that the focus now is on improving the quality of education and skills development in the Country. 

 

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});