Experts have highlighted the need to embrace advanced technology as a way of addressing the increasing challenges faced by the country’s education sector .
The call was made during a virtual national development symposium organized by the Global Peace Foundation Uganda's Milton Kambula in conjunction with Makerere University Business School (MUBs).
Speaking at the event Prof Waswa Balunywa, the Principal of Makerere University Business School said embracing technology is the only way of navigating around the challenges.
“If we are to improve the country’s education, there is need for a comprehensive review of the system aligning it to the technological changes across the globe,” Balunywa said.
He advised that primary education should involve elementary technological skills while secondary education should have more technical and vocational education.
“Higher education should reflect the theoretical perspectives of the future, primarily the innovations that may come, reflect the need for creativity and innovation in the key sectors of the economy, establish technological universities to translate ideas into products,” Balunywa noted.
Balunywa noted that the country’s education sector has been greatly impacted by the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic, a situation he said advances the need for a paradigm shift in planning for the sector.
During the same symposium, the Vice President of the Education Division, Global Peace Foundation, Dr. Tony Devine made a call for teachers and parents to be empowered to become great innovators and alive to current changes in technology.
“Parents and teachers are the strongest influence to students, they should help them build the will and ability to positively influence their own lives,” he said.
Dr.Maggie Kigozi, the patron for the Global Peace Women Uganda said the event has come at the right time when the country’s education sector is facing challenges.
“This is a call to all our dear parents to offer the necessary help to the children who have been returned home. Create an environment that will save our young girls from being prone to sexual abuse which may lead to unwanted pregnancies and dropping out of school,” Kigozi said.
According to the Global Foundation Uganda Peace Ambassador, Milton Kambula the virtual event sought to get solutions to the challenges faced by the country’s education sector.
“The event has brought stakeholders to find a way of how education can continue in homes despite the closure of education institutions. This convening has discussed innovative ways of how parents must become the teachers so that the students can go on and implement what they learnt like in business, agriculture and innovation,” Kambula said.
He added that the other object was to build consensus towards the implementation of critical innovations in business and entrepreneurship, we were able to learn that the economy must continue to grow amidst Covid.
Other speakers during the event included Babaluku, the ounder Bavubuka Foundation who advanced for youth involvement in shaping the country’s education agenda, Dr. Grace Baguma, the Director of the National Curriculum Development Centre and Martin Obore Okiria, the national chairman for the Association of Secondary School head teachers of Uganda among others.