DOES UGANDA'S EDUCATION SYSTEM GIVE US ENOUGH SKILLS TO COPE WITH THE WORLD?

 I have no doubt that Uganda's education system has nurtured many great people for very many years and Iam a proud product of it. With the fast changing world that is characterized by globalization and technological advancements, the question that I pose is does Uganda's education system give us enough skills to cope with the world? is just a self reflection question as I observe the developments in society especially as I speak to a number of youths including university students. 

I would expect students at university to have the necessary skills to cope with the fast changing world but it seems that they are also "afraid" of what awaits them after graduation. In the past a graduate was assured of a job because the population was small and there was one university, Makerere University. Today there are over 30 universities and all are producing the same quality of graduates. Research shows that the universities produce over 300,000 graduates per year amidst a job creation of about 70,000 formal jobs. This is a total mismatch. True the education system is undergoing changes to match the changing global patterns but we still have a long way to go.

 I want to place the major emphasis on soft skills which are being emphasized by most of today's employers. Employers assert that most graduates(not all) lack the necessary competencies to thrive on the job. This is further emphasized by a certain University Vice Chancellor who noted that universities have emphasized training graduates on the hard skills such as engineering students but have not focused so much on the soft skills such as team work and communication. An analysis of the job competencies shows that employees with developed soft skills thrive more than those who can not cope up with others. There is cultural and generational diversity at the workplace and therefore a graduate should expect such issues in advance. Soft skills such as public speaking ,leadership and creativity are not graded or taught at university yet they play a critical role in employee success in the market place.

The much underrated gifts such as singing and football matter a great deal in the real world. Musicians and footballers are some of the most paid in the world. In his book After University What Next, Ambrose Kibuuka notes that Music Dance And Drama(MDD) was one of the most "undermined" courses at Makerere University. The same course in the university produces some of the most respected and highly paid artists in the United States of America. So it seems that a number of university "doubt" the courses that they pursue.

The other issue that requires debate is why students undermine technical and vocational education yet it is a sure gate way to the world of employment. Countries such as Germany and China are focusing on a dual education system where a student should also study a practical skill such that in the event that they do not get the ideal job they do not stay unemployed for a long period of time.

The other bottleneck that is now being addressed is that for a long time we have been hard wired to read and pass exams. This has "killed" curiosity and creativity among many students. By the time we graduate we expect the world to give us ready answers which is never the case. I have seen graduates who feel frustrated by the mere failure to get an internship placement. The question that I normally ask those that I meet and help is that what do they expect after graduation. Internship is an opportunity for a graduate to develop the skills and tenacity that will be required in the real job market. Internship is not a mere activity that a student undertakes as part of their degree so as to graduate.

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO HELP UNIVERSITY GRADUATES?

1. The need for mentorship and coaching. Many parents assume that when a student has gone to university they are old enough to make their own decisions. Having been at university I know it first hand that it is a strange place and many students get" lost" in the first year. Many students are capable of getting good degrees but they miss it in first year due to lack of guidance. Some university students. Some university students view campus as an environment of "enjoying" their  freedom. Mentorship can aid students to navigate the challenging and dynamic times.

2. Students should appreciate vocational and technical education as a gate way to entrepreneurship . The skills earned by a vocational student can enable them to create a job that can earn them a living.

3.Students should not define their potential only by the grades that they get. The knowledge industry is changing at a fast rate and therefore a degree becomes "obsolete" just a few months after graduation. That is why Medical Doctors have continuing medical education. A student must not limit themselves to what they studied. I know of a prominent Medical Doctor, Professor Maggie Kigozi who is a seasoned entrepreneur. 

The fact that Uganda's education system in undergoing reforms is evidence that much more needs to be done to make Uganda's graduates competitive with a global world. The truth is that times have changed and that means that even the graduates of the education system must embrace change to move with the changing times as noted above.

Phillip Kiryowa

Finance and Leadership Coach

+256752615916

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