Revamp Uganda’s education system
May 03, 2009
EDUCATION systems more often serve to define a country’s identity and always reflect a nation’s history, culture and values. Today, the Ugandan landscape is populated by institutions of all types from nursery schools to advanced research institutions.
By Brian Kalule
EDUCATION systems more often serve to define a country’s identity and always reflect a nation’s history, culture and values. Today, the Ugandan landscape is populated by institutions of all types from nursery schools to advanced research institutions.
Whether communities are poor or affluent, urban or rural, public schools are a common denominator throughout Uganda. Since independence, enrollments in public schools have grown exponentially.
As a result, fundamental questions about the purpose and methods of education have resonated in public debates over academic standards, the education structure, costs and competition, and relevancy of education.
The debates have been over issues like: Should schools emphasise basic skills — reading, writing, and mathematics — or provide a broad education in the liberal arts and sciences? How can schools provide equal access to all, yet maintain high academic standards? Should schools focus on practical, job oriented skills, or give all the children the academic courses necessary to succeed so as to join university?
What criteria should be used to select students for admission to university? The answers to these questions are not easy.
The Government always comes up with educational policies. Significantly, it has promoted free and compulsory basic education. I would suggest that the measure of this would be whether or not the educational system has resulted in a citizen being able to reach his full potential and become a fully functional member of society. Therefore, the need of the day is to enhance the creative potential of the students without compromising on the quality of education. In this era of global competition — we need to revamp our education system to meet global standards.
A thorough overhauling of the contemporary learning and evaluation system is needed. Taxing children with too many books to read is what our education system is today. This is not learner friendly.
The classroom activities do not provide a scope for the child’s creative abilities to flourish. Our examinations are inadequate to test various skills in a child, only memory power is tested. It is time to bid adieu to an exam-oriented education system and switch to one where students pursue knowledge. The Government should consider holistic alterations like the teaching methodology being tailored on the job market needs.
Original thinking, which broadens perspectives, should be encouraged so that the students develop an inquisitive spirit and acquire deeper understanding of subjects.
Children do not forget what they see. We need more students’ participation our education system. The Government should make sure that every public school has a proper and well-equipped laboratory. The system should encourage students to know the world better.
Examination systems should change and the focus should be on application-based questions so that the student would use his knowledge of the subject to answer questions and not merely cram the answers.
Continuous internal assessment helps break the tyranny of examinations. Industry-community-academic linkage should be promoted. This may result in the eventual slowdown of migration of graduates to urban centres and abroad.
By allowing primary, middle, and secondary schools to tailor part of their curricula to satisfy the economic and labour needs of their communities and industries, home-grown talent will drive the country’s development.
Our education system is undoubtedly riddled with so many problems, but to redress the imbalances, it is critical the above reforms be considered.
The writer works with Legal Brains Trust
EDUCATION systems more often serve to define a country’s identity and always reflect a nation’s history, culture and values. Today, the Ugandan landscape is populated by institutions of all types from nursery schools to advanced research institutions.
Whether communities are poor or affluent, urban or rural, public schools are a common denominator throughout Uganda. Since independence, enrollments in public schools have grown exponentially.
As a result, fundamental questions about the purpose and methods of education have resonated in public debates over academic standards, the education structure, costs and competition, and relevancy of education.
The debates have been over issues like: Should schools emphasise basic skills — reading, writing, and mathematics — or provide a broad education in the liberal arts and sciences? How can schools provide equal access to all, yet maintain high academic standards? Should schools focus on practical, job oriented skills, or give all the children the academic courses necessary to succeed so as to join university?
What criteria should be used to select students for admission to university? The answers to these questions are not easy.
The Government always comes up with educational policies. Significantly, it has promoted free and compulsory basic education. I would suggest that the measure of this would be whether or not the educational system has resulted in a citizen being able to reach his full potential and become a fully functional member of society. Therefore, the need of the day is to enhance the creative potential of the students without compromising on the quality of education. In this era of global competition — we need to revamp our education system to meet global standards.
A thorough overhauling of the contemporary learning and evaluation system is needed. Taxing children with too many books to read is what our education system is today. This is not learner friendly.
The classroom activities do not provide a scope for the child’s creative abilities to flourish. Our examinations are inadequate to test various skills in a child, only memory power is tested. It is time to bid adieu to an exam-oriented education system and switch to one where students pursue knowledge. The Government should consider holistic alterations like the teaching methodology being tailored on the job market needs.
Original thinking, which broadens perspectives, should be encouraged so that the students develop an inquisitive spirit and acquire deeper understanding of subjects.
Children do not forget what they see. We need more students’ participation our education system. The Government should make sure that every public school has a proper and well-equipped laboratory. The system should encourage students to know the world better.
Examination systems should change and the focus should be on application-based questions so that the student would use his knowledge of the subject to answer questions and not merely cram the answers.
Continuous internal assessment helps break the tyranny of examinations. Industry-community-academic linkage should be promoted. This may result in the eventual slowdown of migration of graduates to urban centres and abroad.
By allowing primary, middle, and secondary schools to tailor part of their curricula to satisfy the economic and labour needs of their communities and industries, home-grown talent will drive the country’s development.
Our education system is undoubtedly riddled with so many problems, but to redress the imbalances, it is critical the above reforms be considered.
The writer works with Legal Brains Trust