At least for the downtrodden!

This morning I woke up to stories. Stories of education in Uganda. Stories that have been disgusting. This time not stories of inequality in access to education, the mischievous re-opening of education institutions, and the height of forced vaccination but stories of glum at a point of re-opening schools in Uganda and my alma mater is yet again embroiled in a miscarriage of governance.

The education section in Uganda has been faced with great frustration, absolute enough to remedy soon. It appears the only goal by the government during the COVID19 pandemic is to save lives, and no doubt it's paramount but akin to the old adage of “a lot of water has passed under the bridge”.

From government closures of schools, instructions for schools to use online/ e-learning for both primary, secondary and tertiary institutions to inequalities of access to the internet to afford such learning by different sections of the learning group, it is evident that learners like their teachers will struggle because of the growing discrimination.

I’m still interested in knowing anyone who could have accessed learning materials in the rural communities promised by the ministry in the wake of the mandatory school closure to avert the COVID19 pandemic. Let me try to be specific, southwards, one of the major rural districts in Kanungu still here the plan to roll out the learning materials as news. This speaks to utter government discrimination of its citizens.

Discrimination? The Constitution of Uganda in Article 21(1)(2)(3)(4)(b) provides for freedom from discrimination. In furtherance of this freedom, Article 21 Clause 4 (a) is emphatic, to draw parliament’s attention to address this discrimination.

The education sector in Uganda, already constrained by many challenges such as the high level of teacher and student absenteeism, weak school level management structures, inadequate availability of learning materials, and large class sizes in addition to inadequate government funding and the gap created by the economic strain caused by the pandemic might have to dangle with this burden too.

The government’s commitment in its free education policy to make education equitable to eliminate disparities and inequalities, and ensure that education is affordable by the majority of Ugandans is challenged.

This is prima facie even as the government plans a phased re-opening of schools. The tertiary institutions will continue to charge such discriminative amounts of money, keep the students learning in a staggered manner with both online learning at their cost while the disabled and rural-based learners remain the victims.

It surely makes no sense to say the education ministry has a grip on the quality control of education in Uganda and yet such discriminative avenues persist. Later on that our parliament has an idea on their role to fulfill their mandate provided by both Article 79 (1)(3) and 21(4)(a)

I’m hesitant to mention that many learners have been left out and denied their right to education enshrined in Article 30 of the constitution of Uganda.  A fundamental human right is indispensable for the exercise of other human rights.

It’s appropriate that there must be equality of opportunity, universal access, and enforceable and monitored quality standards of education in Uganda for this right to work for all of us.

Learning went on using Google teams, zoom, and many other e-learning platforms such as MUELE at Makerere University and Claned for Cavendish University and other tertiary institutions needless to say without consideration for the disabled. Many secondary school students from well-to-do families continued class on the same platforms without consideration a child from Rutenga in Kanungu where electricity and internet are still but a dream. You too have learned of primary and pre-primary schools conducting online classes.

As it is again the common postulate, “survival for the fittest” is being applied. It may be true that the law of evolution is that the strongest survives but that is not the spirit of the law envisaged in the 1995 constitution of Uganda and the subsequent enabling laws.

It is clear that an equitable environment is provided by law in our 1995 constitution and ideal that justice be done to all from rural to the urban, peasant to middle class and leave the thriving to humankind.

From the lessons learned in the previous universal education rollout. It has demonstrated that a poor country with a committed government can fight poverty by ensuring universal access to education for its citizens.

The significant increase in primary and secondary school enrolment is an indication that financing learning was a big impediment to accessing education, especially for poor households. It is however not too late to salvage.

These include tackling institutional constraints to the delivery of quality education services, taking advantage of opportunities offered by the liberalization of the education sector, and reducing inequity in access to education and the quality of education across districts and between rural and urban areas.

As you know I'm used to stories, having made part of storytelling and making in my decades past.

This one is had to tell or make. It's one of an institution at the bedrock of my heart and education and future.

In fact, had it not been for Great Lakes Regional College (feel free to call it University now), Dr. Hamlet Kabushenga & his dear wife Kellen Mbabazi, I would never have attained a university education but be deep down in Katereza grazing goats.

I will stick to this story of being an alma mater and how we owe respect to vision bearers.

Having seen letters making rounds on social media I opted to make a frantic call to Dr. Hamlet (as I like referring to him) in vain and I too tried Mrs. Kellen Mbabazi (still in vain).

I have known, the institution since its inception in early 2000 and would later join in 2007 to pursue a bachelor of arts in social work & social administration under the tutorage of Nkumba University then.

Fast forward, under its foundation, an honorary man through Chifcod ( I'm hesitant to discuss the law as it is and only want to consider goodwill and utmost good faith) had foreseen the challenges faced by peasant families grappling with high levels of school dropouts at aggregate levels of education post-primary in the region.

The statistics at his time netted me. Although I had aggregately performed well ( my right to nondisclosure of results unless of request) I had struggled to attain my post-secondary education.

I want to disclose that I have successfully completed a level of education, done exams, and passed and for the reason of not fully clearing tuition, been unable to receive my transcripts more than thrice.

From this time, I perfectly understand how it feels for one to receive a favorable education service and thus give all the credit & respect Great Lakes University deserves.

Having said that; I will move forward to my dissatisfaction with the manner the issues