Our children even those at primary level need to have both the knowledge and skills if they are to become job creators rather than job seekers. We need to identify their talents early and plan to develop them as a way of fighting unemployment in the country. These and more were words from Mr. Kamwenge Charles the Kabarole district academic performance chairperson when he was hosted live on radio to discuss the primary education curriculum under education sector.
Mr. Kamwenge was hosted alongside Mr. Gaaki Stephen, the headteacher Kinyamasika primary school in Fort Portal municipality, Kabarole district on 22nd September, 2018 . They were hosted on ToroDev’s supported weekly talkshow that is aired live every Saturday 8:00pm-10:00pm on Hits Fm to discuss the primary education curriculum in Uganda whether it can play a role in reducing the current unemployment levels in the country.
In Uganda we are not independent in education given the education system we have and what is taught, most times especially at primary level we teach non-practical subjects yet we need to teach what can create employment for our children. Most often we impart knowledge not skills, it is high time we sit back on a round table and re-design the education curriculum in Uganda to suit the current demands of society today, said Mr. Kamwenge Charles during the discussion.
Mr. Gaaki Stephen said the current education system has suffocated some talents like music, hand craft football, etc and this has entirely depended on the system of government in governance. He said that the National Curriculum Development Center (NCDC) initiated to monitor and oversee likely changes in the curriculum at least after every 10 years and also supervise the operations of Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) is instead being supervised by Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB). Mr Gaaki further said that there is need to identify talents in young pupils and develop them. If a child has failed to pass well UNEB, can he do craft or music? This should not be an option for failure but another way of creating employment to our children such that if one has not perfected the knowledge subjects in class, he/she can earn a living by applying a certain skill acquired somewhere. It is useless to have a lot of knowledge without skills.
He advised policy makers especially at national level to plan for an over haul of the education system in Uganda and re-design what can benefit the country/society today if we are to realize positive outcomes from the education sector in Uganda as well as fight unemployment. ‘’I want also to request the media and CSO’s in education to mobilize parents to start identifying talents in their children at an early age and go a head to develop them such that we can have children with knowledge but also skills in other areas. This will reduce unemployment and also improve the living standards in the country’’, said Mr. Gaaki Stephen during the discussion.
During the 2 hours live discussion listeners were given time to participate live through call in and Sms;
‘’Our education system in Uganda is really not benefiting us, we have many graduates on the streets who are unemployed but also engineers who can not be trusted to do some simple work in the country, we need to re-think as citizens being led by our leaders’’, said Tom Mugara a caller from Karago in Kabarole district. ‘’The education system in Uganda should focus on practical skills other than educating children who became job seekers than job creators something that has increased the levels of unemployment in the country’’, said George Bagambaki a caller from Kyenjojo district.
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