Speaker urges students to use science to innovate

The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga has urged students studying science subjects to be innovative and build modern infrastructure.

Referring to the colonial times when Africans were not allowed to offer science subjects, Kadaga urged the students to take advantage of the opportunities they have in this era and excel.

“Can you design cable cars, trams and speed trains. Think about aeroplanes and even the space shuttles. The facilities, environment and opportunities are here for you to achieve this,” she said.

The Speaker made these remarks to students from 10 secondary schools who had gathered at Viva College School in Jinja for the second Viva Science Challenge on Friday, 27 July 2018.

The science challenge involved exhibitions in bridge building, power generation, soap manufacturing and irrigation among others.

Kadaga added that Busoga was a producer of engineers who designed a lot of infrastructure in the country and they should be emulated with more works by the current crop of students.

“You Basoga should not forget that the people who designed the airport and most of our roads; Eng Dhikusooka, Eng Kaduyu, were from here in Busoga. So, the signs are good and you can rise to the occasion,” the Speaker said.

She also urged parents to educate their children in the schools based in Busoga and not take them far away.

“I went to the rooms in this school; it is better than the hall I was in at Makerere. The dormitories have reading areas; I have not seen this anywhere,” she said adding that, ‘I want to encourage the people of Busoga to have their children study in Busoga’.

Kadaga also demanded that Wanyange Girls Schools reverts its original name that it had when it was built to reflect what the Kyabazinga of Busoga who built it did.

“We had Busoga College Mwiri for the boys and Busoga College Wanyange for the girls but in the ministry, they changed our name. We want our name back. Wanyange does not reflect what the Busoga leaders did,” Kadaga urged.

The Co-director of Viva College School, Farida Kisaame said that education in Uganda needs to focus on practical subjects that impart hands on knowledge to the students.

“Viva is embracing digitisation as this is the future of education. We shall emphasise practical skills as was exhibited by the students today,” she said.