ANB-BIA SUPPLEMENT

Uganda’s Ministry of Education and Sports is in the process of reviewing the tertiary education system, with emphasis on science and technology-based programmes, together with vocational education

According to the findings of the study of Uganda’s Higher Education System, funded by the Education Funding Agencies Group (EFAG), it is envisaged that by the year 2015, 458,554 candidates will be seeking for admission into tertiary institutions. The Commissioner for Higher Education in the Ministry of Education and Sports, Athamani Bilali, says: «This suggests that the government will have to continue to develop policies that make private participation in the provision of higher education very attractive».

The fact is, about 70% of those providing tertiary education come from the private sector. Indeed, Bilali says that under the liberalisation policy, «the government of Uganda is committed to providing a conducive atmosphere for the participation of the private providers of education, to provide education alongside public institutions that are supported by the government.»

Government policies

The Ministry of Education and Sports has instituted three policies on higher education within which the liberalisation of private participation has been addressed. The first policy is increased equitable access to tertiary education. This is intended to widen opportunities for accessing tertiary education, and the expansion programme has so far seen about 25,000 candidates enroling in the public diploma/certificate-awarding institutions.

The second policy is streamlined management and administration of higher education institutions. The government provided for this by enacting the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act 2001, which became effective from April 2001. The Act aims to provide for the establishment of the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE). The NCHE is an organ for streamlining the establishment, administration and standardisation of universities and other tertiary institutions, and other matters related to higher education. The NCHE is now in place.

Bilali says: «Among its other functions, the NCHE will carry out the registration, licensing, accreditation and monitoring and evaluation of all the tertiary institutions. These functions will be carried out according to the set procedures and guidelines, generated from time to time».

The third policy is the establishment of the unit cost system in the planning and management of the tertiary institutions. This policy is intended to prevent wastage during resource allocations.

Standards to be followed

Bilali says private sectors providers of tertiary education, must conform to the set standards and quality parameters set out by the Ministry of Education and Sports.

The following parameters normally help to gauge standardisation and quality assurance in the provision of higher education: Curriculum design and development; staffing categories and levels of staffing; qualifications; remuneration; recruitment methods and development; information and communications technology (ICT) applications; auditing through monitoring and evaluation; and strategic planning and management.

Bilali emphasises that Uganda’s institutions for tertiary education are faced with the task of designing and developing study programmes that are relevant to local needs. This suggests that the programmes must be designed and developed with the involvement of the stakeholders, which includes industry (where the graduates may possibly find employment), and the students themselves».

Margaret Keddi is Curriculum Specialist at the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC). She says: «A curriculum is usually a true reflection of a nation’s philosophy of life as reflected in the national goals, which outline the values and aspirations of a country.

The role of curriculum development, involves considering the philosophy of life and determining both the substance and form of learning opportunities and experiences. For Uganda, it is the curriculum’s role to translate the philosophical statements of “forging national unity and harmony; integrating the masses with the literate persons; promoting the democratic process and practices; and guaranteeing freedoms and rights”».

Policy framework for tertiary education

Keddi outlined the policy framework under which curriculum development takes place in Uganda. This must include: democratization, decentralization, liberalization, privatization, national integration, poverty eradication, and social transformation/equitable distribution of benefits and improved access to these benefits.

«As things are at present», says Bilali, «staffing categories, levels and qualifications are not in line with acceptable standards.

Furthermore, recruitment methods do not facilitate the identification of ideal personnel for academic, technical and managerial/administrative positions.

Staff development schemes, together with attractive remuneration have not been adequately designed and developed. There is need for the recruitment, development and retention of qualified persons of all categories in the institutions.

Masters Degrees for lecturers, and First Degrees for teaching assistants, is an ideal yardstick for the academic staff. First Degrees and higher diplomas are ideal for administrative and technical staff».

Bilali also emphasised the importance of computer and information technology applications in curriculum delivery, networking, and computer-mediated experiments in science-based disciplines are inadequate in Ugandan tertiary institutions. He draws a comparison with Ireland, where teaching and learning in the tertiary education system, for instance, are ICT-mediated. The technique has made the Irish university education highly qualitative».

He continues: «Due to an overwhelming number of tertiary institutions, regulatory operations by the Ministry of Education and Sports, geared towards monitoring and evaluating performance of the tertiary institutions has been inadequate. It has therefore not been possible to ascertain whether or not the institutions conform to the acceptable standards and quality parameters. Now that the NCHE is in place, the issue of determining standards, validating programmes, assessing learners, ensuring quality and monitoring study programmes in the tertiary institutions will hopefully be addressed. The Ministry of Education and Sports is in the final stages of collecting information that will facilitate the designing, planning and restructuring of the entire higher education system, so that the system enhances national development.»

• Peter Bahemuka, Uganda, October 2002 — © Reproduction authorised, with usual acknowledgment