As the year draws to an end, MOSES TALEMWA looks back on some of the achievements reached in 2016 and some of the challenges facing the education sector at the dawn of 2017.
The year started off on a nasty note, with indications from then education minister Jessica Alupo that all learning institutions would be closed to make way for the elections on February 18, 2016.
Grumbling school heads and parents complied. Following this, Mathew Bukenya presided over his last exam release as executive secretary of the Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb). In his final remarks, Bukenya commended the education sector for the support and prayed that progress reached would be continued.
And so, on May 1, 2016, the Uneb welcomed a new executive secretary in Dan Nokrach Odongo. He is the first executive secretary to rise up the ranks to this office, since David Ongom succeeded Basil Kiwanuka in 1980. Odongo had been deputy executive secretary for Secondary Schools, reporting to the now retired Bukenya.
In that same month, Makerere University welcomed a new chancellor in Dr Ezra Suruma, who presided over his first graduation ceremony, challenging alumni not to let down the institution’s name. However, a subsequent graduation ceremony for January 2017 has been put on hold following the closure of the institution in November.
Few will remember that there was anything to celebrate at Makerere this year. Instead, many will recall the six strikes in the last 12 months that finally had their toll on the nearly-95-year-old institution.
A strike by staff over the delayed allowances turned into a student riot that saw the university closed on November 1, 2016. The institution will be closed for the longest time ever – three months, as a probe studies the intricacies of reopening it, without worsening the situation.
Before the closure however, the university had been in the midst of a guild election mess. Roy Ssembogga, a medical student, had to wait for court to call for a re-vote at Makerere, before he could win. Having formally taken office in October, Ssembogga will go down in history for serving the shortest time as guild president – two months.
He was rendered jobless by the closure, in November. And when the institution resumes, sometime in March 2017, he will have another month, before presiding over the election of his successor.
The year 2016 saw new vice chancellors taking office. Among these was Kampala International University's, Mouhammad Mpezamihigo, who had just left Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU), where he served as vice rector for 11 years. Others include Dr Ahmad Ssengendo who got a new term as rector at IUIU.
Kyambogo University had been expected to get a new vice chancellor, but the search process was halted and may be concluded in 2017. Dr Stephen Isabalijja also concluded his term as vice chancellor at Victoria University and has since moved on to become permanent secretary at the ministry of Energy and Mineral Development. Victoria University is in the process of appointing a new vice chancellor.
The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) approved Mbarara University’s proposal to run a degree in emergency medicine. However, the NCHE was caught in the cross hairs of several crises relating to approved programmes at various institutions.
Several students sued the NCHE after it decreed that their nursing degrees had not been approved. The matter is still unresolved. However, the council has also threatened to shut down at least two universities for running unaccredited programmes and lacking proper corporate governance standards.
The next year will possibly be very busy at NCHE, which failed to publish a report on the performance of institutions it superintends over, for the second time running.
NEW MINISTERS
With the conclusion of the general election cycle in April, the government decided to renew itself. With education minister Jessica Alupo losing her election as Katakwi Woman MP, there was speculation she would be replaced; however, few if any could have guessed who her successor would be.
President Museveni decided to appoint Janet Museveni the new education and sports minister (replacing Alupo), and experienced educationist and advocate Rosemary Nansubuga Seninde as minister for Primary Education (to replace Dr John C Muyingo). For his part, Dr Muyingo replaced Prof Sande Stevens Tickodri, while the Sports docket was left untouched.
The ministry, hitherto the ministry of Education, Science Technology and Sports, reverted to its old name - Education and Sports. In ushering in the new leadership, the president called for more scientific innovations.
President Museveni was indeed on hand to launch several institutions and projects. These included Muni and Kabale universities, where he also installed new chancellors. Kabale University, which formally became a public institution this year, started out as a private institution.
Earlier in the year, the president was on hand to launch several innovation efforts, such as the Kayoola EV bus, for which he promised funding to turn the ideas into a reality.
Other innovations that caught our eye in the year included Makerere University’s steam engine (intended to replace the petrol engine in the long run), the solar water pumps (intended to support agriculture), the PedalTap (intended to improve hygiene in schools) and the Orahi security app (which helps track down people to avoid kidnapping).
Worth mentioning was KIU’s memorandum of understanding with the ministry of Health, which saw the university sending medical students to support the running of six hospitals, in addition to its own Ishaka hospital. The university is also working on a pharmaceuticals plant, to be based in Ishaka.
PUNITIVE ACTION
After years of investigation, the Law Development Centre finally swung the axe and cancelled the licenses of nine suspect advocates including a politician Michael Mabikke for exam malpractice.
The LDC also ordered that a further seven lawyers sit for exams after it was found that they had been erroneously passed. These included Fred Mukasa Mbidde, who has since passed the said exams.
In addition, certified pro bono lawyer Isaac Ssemakadde is in trouble with the Law Council, after it was adjudged that he had sat exams for a one Hamis Kiggundu. The two are yet to face the Law Council, which will rule on what penalty Ssemakadde will face.
Elsewhere, in the education sector, Bridge International Academies had been in the country for just six months, when they started to tussle it out with the ministry of Education and Sports.
Their main contention was the refusal to register with the ministry as an education institution. They went to court, where they lost; the court giving the state the authority to proceed with the shutdown of its 63 primary school campuses.
mtalemwa@observer.ug