DOES OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM ONLY PREPARE US FOR STEADY JOBS?

 One of the greatest fears of any graduate is to complete university and fail to get a job. We have to be realistic that without a job life becomes tough. In fact statistics about unemployment in Uganda are quite scary. Over 70% of Uganda's population is below 30 years. Universities produce over 500,000 graduates per year amidst a job creation rate of 90,000 jobs. We can see the mismatch here. In a recent media article it was noted that over 15%of the university graduates were unemployed. 

In trying to assess the implication of the above statistics I have  focused the attention on the education system. Education is a powerful agent of transformation. In fact without education life would be very tough. We  thank all stakeholders who work hard to change the narrative of the education system. Despite the reforms in the education system we can not neglect the above statistics related to unemployment. Right from nursery a child is encouraged to cram and those that pass the tests and national exams are the ones who are likely to "succeed" in the real world. So from nursery until university a student is hardwired to pass exams well knowing that his or her grades will "guarantee" his or her success. The education system rarely encourages the student to ask questions or challenge the assumptions of the teacher who is seen as an expert in the subject. This mindset of passing exams is carried on up to university and there are students who even detest discussion groups. So with this focus on passing exams a student places his or her faith in the academic transcript as a means of access to a decent formal job. This explains why there is a lot of frustration in society because so many youths do not have jobs. The pressure is not just on students but also parents who have to sacrifice a lot to pay school fees for their children and in the end they fail to get jobs. 

In his book After University What Next, Ambrose Kibuuka notes that some students focus on pursuing courses where there is predictability in terms of employment. But times have changed. There are many graduates of traditional courses such as Law and Medicine who are jobless. I know of a famous Ugandan medical doctor who is now an entrepreneur and has served in various business organizations . This should inspire any youth that they should not only focus on what they studied. The world has evolved at a very fast pace.

The other key challenge is that today's youths want to start from the top. Due to ambition many youths do not seek mentorship .Rather they prefer to rise up the corporate ladder at a very fast pace. This explains why few youths would prefer to start their own companies. The big question that I want to pose is, what would have happened if the founders of the companies where we work had not mastered the courage to establish them. Today the get rich mentaility has forced many youths to prefer gambling over hard work. Everyone one wants predictability or security yet we live in a Volatile, Uncertain Complex and Ambiguous(VUCA)  world.

Iam not against steady jobs because I also have one but after carefully observing society and the unemployemnt dynamics we need a paradigm shift.We need to poplarise entrepreneurship as a medium to shaping society and creating economic opportunities for the many unemployed youths,

HOW TO ALTER THE EDUCATION SYSTEM TO CREATE MORE JOBS

1. The parents should be involved in nurturing their children to become job creators. Today the emphasis is placed on how the child is excelling in theoretical subjects rather than encouraging them to become industrious.

2. Voluntary work should be encouraged. Today many university students despise voluntary work yet it is one sure way to acquire skills that improve youth employability

3.Popularize vocational education. Today most students prefer to join university yet the vocational schools have been credited for imparting students with practical skills such as baking, motor vehicle repairs. Countries such as China and Germany require their citizens to have both  a degree and a practical skill to enhance their employability.


Education is a powerful tool for economic transformation. However with the high rates of youth unemployment one is forced to revaluate whether Uganda's education system is hard wired to produce job seekers rather than job creators .

Phillip Kiryowa

Personal Finance Coach

Advanced Empowerment Link

+256752615916

Comments

  1. Isaac OjurDecember 30, 2024 at 2:52 AM

    Thank you so much for this excellent write-up. Much as I do agree that education is the most powerful weapon that can be used to change the world, It doesn't guarantee success in the 21st century. The University curriculum in Uganda is full of theory rather than practicals. Students are trained to pass exams just like is the case in secondary schools hence making students less creative and innovative. Where are the best performers in PLE, UCE & UACE in the last ten years? Who is tracking their progress? Anyway, I encourage university students to do anything holistic for survival. Ley them think lije graduates but hustle like dropouts. Let them be creative and innovative to stsrt their own businesses rather than relying on hunting salaried jobs. Happy new year 2025.

    ReplyDelete
  2. PHILLIP KIRYOWADecember 30, 2024 at 8:12 PM

    Thanks a lot Hon. Isaac for your important submission. Much appreciated

    ReplyDelete

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