Kyambogo’s merger was irrational
EDITOR—The beginning of Kyambogo University’s problems can be traced starting from the former institutions before the merger. Members of staff in these institutions were expecting greener pastures from the university but things did turn out the way they expected. <br>
EDITOR—The beginning of Kyambogo University’s problems can be traced starting from the former institutions before the merger. Members of staff in these institutions were expecting greener pastures from the university but things did turn out the way they expected.
They were struggling for the merger forgetting that some of them (especially teachers) did not have the necessary qualifications to teach in a university. I do not blame the administrators of Kyambogo alone but all the parties involved —staff, administration and the government.
Before investigating the Kyambogo saga, I suggest an independent and neutral commission collects views from all members of staff (both teaching and non-teaching). I am a lecturer at Kyambogo and I have worked there since 1997. I am one of the people who never supported the merger of UNISE, UPK and ITEK into one institution to make a university.
I think it is time for the government to realise the importance of technical education as one of the key driving factors of development, industrialisation and modernisation as appeared in President Museveni’s manifesto. Developed countries like Germany value technical education more than theoretical university education.
They apply the theoretical knowledge developed in universities into real world solutions. If the former UPK had remained and the government had given it autonomy, the present problems would not be at Kyambogo today.
Why did former UPK staff support the merger?
The tertiary institutions in Uganda break down technical education as junior technical institutions, colleges, technical institutions and universities. Apart from the public universities which have autonomy, all schools and tertiary institutions are under the education service commission (ESC).
The ESC does not follow a policy which clearly shows a line between technical institutions like the former UPK, Lira Technical, Bushenyi Technical, Kichwamba, etc and the secondary schools when it comes to recognition mainly governed by salary.
The ESC is supposed to employ only people with an Education certificate. Most of the lecturers in the former UPK, even those in technical institutions, do not have these certificates. So it was very difficult for the ESC to deploy them and categorise them as teachers.
Most of these lecturers get salaries equivalent to those of secondary school teachers or less!
Name withheld
They were struggling for the merger forgetting that some of them (especially teachers) did not have the necessary qualifications to teach in a university. I do not blame the administrators of Kyambogo alone but all the parties involved —staff, administration and the government.
Before investigating the Kyambogo saga, I suggest an independent and neutral commission collects views from all members of staff (both teaching and non-teaching). I am a lecturer at Kyambogo and I have worked there since 1997. I am one of the people who never supported the merger of UNISE, UPK and ITEK into one institution to make a university.
I think it is time for the government to realise the importance of technical education as one of the key driving factors of development, industrialisation and modernisation as appeared in President Museveni’s manifesto. Developed countries like Germany value technical education more than theoretical university education.
They apply the theoretical knowledge developed in universities into real world solutions. If the former UPK had remained and the government had given it autonomy, the present problems would not be at Kyambogo today.
Why did former UPK staff support the merger?
The tertiary institutions in Uganda break down technical education as junior technical institutions, colleges, technical institutions and universities. Apart from the public universities which have autonomy, all schools and tertiary institutions are under the education service commission (ESC).
The ESC does not follow a policy which clearly shows a line between technical institutions like the former UPK, Lira Technical, Bushenyi Technical, Kichwamba, etc and the secondary schools when it comes to recognition mainly governed by salary.
The ESC is supposed to employ only people with an Education certificate. Most of the lecturers in the former UPK, even those in technical institutions, do not have these certificates. So it was very difficult for the ESC to deploy them and categorise them as teachers.
Most of these lecturers get salaries equivalent to those of secondary school teachers or less!
Name withheld