It is a new year – 2017. As MOSES TALEMWA and YUDAYA NANGONZI have already found, it will be quite a busy one for the education and sports sector. We have talked to several people in the sector on their expectations this year.
President Museveni has already kicked off actions that will become critical in the sector. He has asked for a new committee of lecturers appointed from the all public universities, to work with the National Curriculum Development Centre in reviewing and completing the O-level curriculum.
The move comes in the wake of concerns about whether the curriculum, about which many secondary school heads and university officials are concerned, will be unveiled in 2018, as planned.
However, some education officials are not exactly convinced that the president is going about it the right way. Consider, Fred Mwesigye, executive director of the Forum for Education NGOs of Uganda (Fenu).
“This is bound to cause problems. That is not how you develop a curriculum,” Mwesigye said. “I know there are those who say the current curriculum is useless, but the only answer I can give to these is that they have not mastered how to teach their subjects … the ministry should instead put emphasis on improving pedagogy – how teachers instruct their learners.”
However, the president believes the measure will make learning easier for students, once the committee's work is completed.
BUDGET PRIORITIES
Elsewhere, ministry officials have already shared plans for the next sector budget, which if approved, will see increased emphasis on salaries for teachers, tutors as well as lecturers, among other priorities. This is a matter that has Mwesigye excited.
“There better be more emphasis on increased pay… if it is not done, little will be achieved in the sector,” Mwesigye says. “Many people are unhappy with the situation… they have been reduced to holding qualifications but with no hope … especially with increasing inflation – it is inevitable.”
The other issue tackled in the budget will be increased infrastructure development; from rehabilitation of primary and secondary schools, to building technical schools and university campuses. More teachers’ houses are also on the programme, which promises to be massive, compounded with contributions from the treasury and the donor community.
And still on vocational education, there will be a lot of infrastructure development with money flowing in from several donors and the government, including the World Bank and the African Development Bank.
However, Mwesigye has some advice. “There should also be some emphasis on the required human power as well as the required equipment … but the ministry should put up more incentives, and private BTVET developers should also be considered.”
HAKUNA MCHEZO
But if 2016 was an opportunity for some of the officials joining the sector to get settled in, 2017 is going to be a year of increased enforcement of standards. According to Muhammed Huzaifah Mutazindwa, director education standards at the ministry of Education and Sports, the sector will pay more attention to regulations with all players.
“We are going to leverage on ICT to stamp out absenteeism of teachers, head teachers and even learners. We shall ensure that all education institutions that open their doors to children in this country have the basic requirements and minimum standards,” he said.
Mutazindwa indicated that the sector has learned from the troubles that emerged over the operations of Bridge International Academies last year. He said there would be more emphasis on requirements for operating schools in the country.
“We are also going to ensure that we step up inspection in order to improve the achievement levels of learners. Ultimately, we want to see that efficiency and effectiveness reign during the year 2017,” he said. “We can only do that when we deal with absenteeism and ensure that resources like teachers, capitation grants, teaching and learning materials are utilised.”
BASIC EDUCATION
In 2017, the ministry will continue emphasis on early childhood education (ECD), with more funding and some logistical support, in the frame of readers. The sector has been supporting ECD for the last three years and at some point on the ground that this should ultimately improve learning outcomes across the board. However, Mwesigye has some concerns about this, arguing that the emphasis should be placed elsewhere.
“[The crisis in ECD] is not as urgent as it is being portrayed – our biggest concern is in the facilitation in primary schools … whatever is lost at nursery school can be improved with more support to primary schools,” he said. “With improved schools, learning outcomes will improve over time.”
Officials in the secondary education department at the ministry have indicated that there will be some review of policies there. However, no details are being discussed now. In the meantime, Mwesigye thinks he knows what is being considered.
“The public-private partnership policy in supporting schools needs revisiting urgently … the whole thing is not working properly.
Mwesigye explains it is unfair to the privately-founded schools to receive Shs 47,000 from the capitation grant fund, while state-aided schools Shs 47,000 as well as teachers, laboratory equipment and textbooks.
“It is not fair to the privately-founded schools that are also supporting children, who are born by taxpaying parents … something needs to change to level the ground.”
UNEB
Early last year, the Uganda National Examinations Board changed leadership. Apart from the executive secretary, Dan Nokrach Odongo, the Uneb also saw its board’s mandate renewed. Consequently, the mood at Uneb is upbeat, according to Odongo.
“We also see ourselves consolidating on our achievements in ICT usage as a driving force in enabling us to improve on the effectiveness of our service delivery,” Odongo said. “We [hope that] in the New Year, [after] having a revised Uneb Act, we will address a number of weaknesses … have taken place since the old Act was enacted in 1983.”
Odongo also envisages an increase in the number of candidates taking Uneb exams in 2017, more funding and expansion on infrastructure to accommodate the increases in numbers.
“We look forward to a more fruitful examination year and more engagements with government to bridge the funding gaps.”
UNIVERSITIES
According to the minister for Higher Education, Dr John C Muyingo, there will be major amendments in the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act, coming to parliament, later this year.
The minister was non-committal on what changes would be coming. However, officials at the ministry have indicated that the changes could give more authority to the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) to superintend over institutions it is supposed to supervise. Other changes may relate to how university vice chancellors are appointed or elected.
In a related development, in the meantime, Prof Jack Nyeko Pen-Mogi, the chairperson of NCHE, thinks the sector should consider more support for higher education.
“We are aware of the limited national budget but we believe that government could still afford to put up a research budget between Shs 50bn and Shs 100bn for competitive grants to Ugandan scientists annually as a way of supporting higher degree education,” he said.
Ultimately, the sector will welcome at least three new university vice chancellors, later this year. Makerere, Kyambogo and Victoria universities are expected to get new vice chancellors, later this year.
VERBATIM
Prof Arthur Sserwanga, Muteesa I Royal University
"We are planning to bring on board more vocational courses that are relevant to the job market. … We don’t intend to bring on new courses but shall improve on the many that we have to make them relevant for the industry."
Prof Venansius Baryamureeba, Uganda Technology and Management University
“I would like to see government coming up with more policies on guiding higher education. I want to see government withdrawing a little bit from public universities in terms of governance, management and oversight. Government should give them grants and allow them to manage their salaries and other expenditures.”
Prof Badru Kateregga, Kampala University
“I think many things will change this year and institutions of higher learning will improve the quality of their graduates. More institutions will also come on board to increase access to higher education.”
mtalemwa@observer.ug
nangonzi@observer.ug