Muyingo advises on vocational education

By Raymond Baguma

The minister of state for higher education, John Chrysostom Muyingo, has advised parents and teachers to interest students in pursuing vocational courses if the current unemployment levels are to be reduced.

Muyingo said contrary to the past, when students joined university to pursue courses of their choice and soon after get employed, today the situation has changed with high unemployment levels.

“Things have changed and we must change the way we do things. I am calling upon parents, teachers and students. There is need to change.

Our products are not getting employment. Unfortunately, there are many jobs out there and they are taken by people who have gone to vocational institutions,” Muyingo said.

He was on Sunday speaking during Trinity College Nabbingo’s 71st College day anniversary celebrations. The school has been in existence since 1942.

Muyingo said vocational education could lead to employment in the emerging oil and gas industry as well as the hospitality industry in Uganda which is presently dominated by foreigners.

“I want us to fight together to change the attitude of the degree syndrome and go for practical vocational training,” Muyingo said.

He also said that Nabbingo has been selected to be a sports centre of excellence in the country, and encouraged girls to be interested in sports because it is one of the sure ways of getting employment.

Muyingo hailed Trinity College Nabbingo for providing quality education and training of the Ugandan girls who have become influential in society working as administrators, lawyers, engineers.

The celebrations were preceded by Holy Mass presided over by Monsignor Lawrence Semusu during which students were confirmed in the Catholic faith.  Present were past and present head teachers and students and parents.

During the celebrations various people were recognised and honoured for their contribution towards establishment and development of the school. Also recognised were former students who have excelled academically.

Amongst the various personalities recognised were former head teacher Teopista Yiga, the former Katikkiro of Buganda kingdom Engineer JB Walusimbi and the Archbishop of Kampala archdiocese Cyprian Lwanga.

The head teacher Cotilda Nakate Kikomeko said that last year, Nabbingo registered an excellent pass rate academically at both O and A level.

Kikomeko said that in last year’s Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE), 85 percent of students passed in division one while 14 percent passed in division two and only one percent was in third division.

Similarly, results from the A’ level finals reveal that all students qualified to join university and tertiary institutions. Of these, 79 percent of students had a total of four principle passes, while 20 percent had three principle passes, and only 1 percent had two principle passes.

The students donated an assortment of scholastic items to minister Muyingo which will be distributed to needy students in his Bamunanika constituency.