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2005 Challenging Year for Education Sector(New Vision (Uganda) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)THE year ended with good news for teachers in Uganda. After several demonstrations against low pay, President Yoweri Museveni finally promised to meet their sh200,000 demand per month next financial year. Initially, the minimum salary for a primary school teacher was sh140,000. If the pledge is not implemented, there is no doubt that they will take to the streets again in protest. The year, however, started with a gender sensitive shuffle in the education ministry. It saw Namirembe Bitamazire, the longest-serving female minister, take over the education ministerial portfolio from Khiddu Makubuya. Simon Mayende was appointed state minister for higher education, while Nyombi Thembo took up Bitamazire's earlier post of state minister for primary education. Barely months after the new appointments, the ministry was rocked by several wrangles. The first was with the health ministry over tuition fees at Mbarara University of Science and Technology. The education ministry wanted the unit cost reduced from sh19.6m to sh10m per student per year. It also wanted to retain the training element but have the hospital services transferred to the health ministry. However, the health ministry did not want the teaching component separated from the hospital services. That was a lighter conflict compared to the recruitment scandal later in the year. An applicant (Eng. Justus Akankwasa) who had been interviewed and appointed to head the construction unit was asked to work under John Nakabugo, the officer he should have succeeded. The misunderstanding led to the intervention of the Inspector General of Government (IGG), Faith Mwondha, who had no kind words for Mayende. The story goes that Mayende wrote to the Ministry of Public Service requesting that a position of commissioner - construction management be created for Nakabugo, but the IGG questioned the justification for creating the position. She said Mayende's letter confirmed her fears that tribal sentiments were the driving factor behind the interventions. Never mind that the post eventually went to Akankwasa. During the annual Education Sector Review (ESR) at Speke Resort Munyonyo, there was a lot of misunderstanding between the ministry and the Education Funding Agencies Group (EFAG). Sources said at one point the session was very hot, with the Permanent Secretary, Francis Lubanga, sticking to an undertaking that EFAG did not want on the aide memoire. The introduction of the Universal Secondary Education (USE) also brought mixed reactions. While the peasant citizenry appreciated it, EFAG was a bit hesitant, saying it had not been consulted, but Bitamazire lashed out at all the pessimists. "If the President says this, I don't think there is any person who can deter that statement. I am a very proud minister, and since UPE has improved, I have no doubt that USE will also be successful," she said. The ministry reshuffled 3,000 secondary schoolteachers across the country. A few days later, it was in a crisis over a shortfall of 10,000 secondary school teachers to fill existing vacancies countrywide. We were left in suspense. Nobody came up to say "we have got the teachers". Uganda's highest institution of learning, Makerere University, never seems to miss out in the news at any given year. In April, over 600 administrative staff went on strike, citing low pay. Students took over the kitchens to fill the void left by the striking workers. For a start, everything seemed to be heading in the right direction on the students' part. Taking over the Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com) external programme from the business school (MUBS) seemed to have been a smart decision. But that was shortlived. It was not long before several B.Com students stormed Senate building demanding to know why they had not received their results for over two semesters. Many other riots also came up, following protests against the new guild boss, Maurice Kibalya. It was only after court intervened that everything normalised. The proposal to hike fees by sh215,000 for all courses also met stiff resistance. MPs and the public were enraged. "This is unfair to peasants' children," said Dorothy Hyuha, the chairperson of the parliamentary social services committee. President Yoweri Museveni halted the hike. He instead asked the finance ministry to release sh5b for the university. But this was not enough. The retake fees, which had been increased from sh6,000 to sh180,000 per paper, sparked off a violent strike for two consecutive days, in which one student was killed. Museveni also stopped this category of the fees. Prof. Apolo Nsibambi, the prime minister, asked MUK Vice-Chancellor Livingstone Luboobi and the IGG to investigate a Sunday Vision story that students hire mercenaries to do exams for them. Many people thought sexual harassment at MUK was a mere stereotype. But perhaps 2005 proved it with one culprit, Julius Enon from the School of Education, who was dismissed over allegations that he had sexually harassed female students. Government proposed to have 75% (3,000) slots of state sponsorships go to science students. The other 25% (1,000) would only go to those in the humanities. With the latter being the majority, it generated a hot debate. Yet unlike other controversial issues where the President intervenes, this particular proposal went on to be effected. Maybe it was to prove the Government's commitment to the science policy. On the positive side, the introduction of the quota system of admission was introduced. Yet even then, some districts like Nakapiripirit, Yumbe and Katikamu did not have anyone qualifying. National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) battled with several universities throughout the year. Kampala International University (KIU) was accused of illegally running a medical school without accreditation. Namasagali University's licence was revoked for not having the capacity to deliver higher education. Busoga, Kampala and Nkumba Universities were given a year to upgrade to charter levels. Nevertheless, KIU's Hassan Basajjabalaba thinks NCHE is against him. The ministry also dropped a proposal to have a joint examinations board following stiff resistance from both members of the public and private universities. The ministry also banned the distribution and promotion of condoms at primary and post-primary levels. Government provided sh2.948b for implementation of the homegrown school-feeding programme to cover primary schools in 19 districts affected by war. The government commissioned the World Food Programme (WFP) to procure and deliver food to the schools for the next five years. However, later in the year, WFP suspended the distribution of relief food. Several schools in Nakapipirit district closed. Government also confirmed the suspension of the programme. Was it an empty promise? If you thought working for civil service is not rewarding, you are wrong. At the release of the 2004 Senior Six results, Bitamazire rewarded Police Constable John Bosco Olum and David Barigye, a UNEB official, with sh500,000 each for standing up to armed examinations thieves in Luweero District, during the examinations. The New Vision also played a key role in the sector. It launched PLE, UCE and UACE pullouts and a first ever rate guide to university with information about Uganda's 17 universities, tertiary institutions and other universities in South Africa, Britain, India and the US. So if your daughter or son passed Senior Six, there is a guide to help him or her choose the best university! Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media. (allafrica.com) |