UK politician hopes to improve Uganda's education

British politician Kishan Devani has said he hopes to help improve Uganda's education system in future.

Devani, a Liberal Democrat Party treasurer's envoy and vice president of the party's campaign for race equality, regarded the current education system as academic-oriented and less practical.

He told New Vision in an interview that the system should be skills-driven.

"I would hope to come and assist schools here in looking at their educational plans.  They should move from a knowledge-based curriculum to skills-based curriculum.

It is very important because young people should not only study and get educated but they should also be allowed to become employable after university," he said.

The National Planning Authority report that was released in March 2007 said of the 700,000 people that join the job market every year, only 90,000 get work to do.

This leaves more than 80% of graduates unemployed.

"You have very many educated people but where do they go after? So it is important that they are employable after (University). So for me making sure that their education is a continuation into employment is something that I am passionate about," the 33-year-old said.

Devani, who exuded confidence as he walked into the interview venue with a beaming smile at businessman Ramesh Masrani's residence in Kololo recently, said he hopes to come and assist in that career path for many young people in Uganda

He was on his fourth visit to Uganda. He had brought his mother Mina Hindocha, 76, to her homeland after 46 years.

His mother, who was among  the 50,000 Asians who were forced to leave Uganda in 1972, on the orders of President Idi Amin, had never been to Uganda since 1972.

Amin, who died in August 2003, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where he had lived in exile for over 20 years, said he was on a journey to ‘Africanise' the Ugandan economy.

This meant that anyone of Indian origin was persona non grata.

"But also getting connections between Ugandan universities and universities in the UK and elsewhere as well where a lot of your young people want to go and study.

I hope to enable that and make it affordable," the son of two refugees and a 2015 parliamentary candidate for the Conservatives, said.

To get scholarships

Devani said he also hopes to enable Ugandan students get scholarships to UK schools and universities.

 "These are some of the things that I would like to look at over the long time; but of course this is about relationship building. I have visited some of the schools here. But I want to sort of build up some more links with Makerere University and other universities here," he stated.

He said the basis of his politics is fighting for the underprivileged. "Raising standards for your young people is very important. I was at my mom's old school at PMM Girls School in Jinja and I was very saddened to see the poor facilities. It hurts me, to the point that I even pledged that I would support 10 of the girls as just a gesture," he said.

Emotional homecoming

Devani, the former deputy chairman of the London Conservative Party, said his mother's homecoming on her 66th birthday was an emotional one.

He recalled that when they landed at Entebbe Airport, Hindocha shed tears because it was a very emotional journey for her.

"This was probably the most important trip I have made with her in my life because it was so special, to the point that we spent two days in Jinja. 

She went back to Jinja just for an hour to take a few more pictures of some of the roads so she can show her friends and our family.

It feels like I have given my mother something back when she has given us all her life," he said.

He, however, said what was very interesting for him was that he had kept a very good relationship with Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda whom he described as a fine gentleman.

Rugunda studied with his mother at Busoga College Mwiri in the late 1960s.

"He (Rugunda) had been insisting to me for the last three times that, ‘Next time you come here, make sure you bring your mother because she is my sister.

I am also from Jinja and your mom also is from Jinja, so you must make sure that you bring her,"' Davani said.

He said Rugunda gave them a warm welcome when they finally arrived.  His mother's tears flowed freely as she reminisced about her old days with Rugunda.

Devani, who is one of the most prominent British-Asian politicians, said before coming here, they had a big party in London for his mother's 66th birthday.