Let us first ask ourselves this question.
Where do
students in Uganda go after A-Level? In 2016 a total of 102, 858 high school candidates appeared and sat for their national exams called Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE). However, Government afforded to sponsor university education of only 4, 000 in Public Universities. The major challenge here is funding the expensive tertiary education. What happened to the majority? Many dropped out of the academia while very few repeated S.6 hoping to pass highly in the next sitting to qualify for the national scholarship.
Out of the privileged 4, 000, some access the inter-governmental scholarships while some others access prestigious overseas studies through tuition waivers, financial aid and scholarships in other parts of the World. Universities, both public and private absorb about 20, 000 on non government funded programs within the means of their available funds because they can't afford what they want. Many of those who go for popular programs include the international students from neighboring countries and children of the urban rich.
Some of privately sponsored students, (commonly referred to as private students), who marginally miss the prestigious government scholarship, access international scholarship opportunities. Some who qualify for programs, critical to national development, especially science courses, access a conditional students' loan offered by government, while the low performers go for affordable pre-degree programs (diplomas) in other tertiary institutions. The majority join the petty trade and low paying causal labour market within the country or outside Uganda. Counties where labour is cheap causal labour is exported include Southern Sudan, Rwanda, Kenya, D.R. Congo, South Africa and Middle East countries which include; Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Malaysia, Indonesia and United Arab Emirates.
Some of the reasons behind the observed trend
1) Careers teacher
Teacher ignorance in career matters.
When a blind man leads another blind man they both fall into a pit. The teacher
for this matter ought to be a reader and an innovative schemer.
2) Barriers attached
• In some schools there is no
particular teacher. in charge of career affairs.
• Job description (what, when, how,
resources)
• Lack training.
• Exposure (SAT, TOEFL,ACT etc)
Presentation skills.
3) Target Beneficiaries (students)
• Lack of confidence.
• Poverty.
• Student ignorance.
4) Policy Barriers
·
Current
affirmative considerations do not recognize many co-curricular endevours e.g.
debate, community work, etc
·
Affirmative
action allows students to access university education at low entry points,
hence making students less competitive at global scale.
Scholarships at Bachelors Level
• USA and Canada- largely through
Common Applications and at the embassy.
• Britain- Very few for the best
students and attached conditions are very tough.
• Japan- very few and highly
competitive.
• Few from Germany, Sweden, Belgium and
France- Language restrictions and not easily accessed.
• India, China, Cuba, Pakistan are
easily accessible
Government Fully Funded Global Courses.
All courses related to the National Security are fully
controlled by the government of Uganda and access is carried out by security
agencies. These include among others:
1) Commandant
2) Air force
3) Intelligence
4) Forensic Medicine
5) Mechanical Engineering specializing
in Military Hardware
6) Computer Science specializing in
Military Software.
What do most scholarship awarding organizations/ Institutions
want?
Students who:
-
Have
demonstrated good leadership skills.
-
Have
demonstrated entrepreneurial skills.
-
Have
exhibited high academic performance.
-
Have
acquired an unmatched record in community service and / or sports.
-
Have
proof of coming from an economically marginalized biological family background
What do Students from Uganda consider when applying for scholarships?:
A Case Study of Mengo Senior School, Kampala, Uganda.
Most of them consider the following:
1) An all costs paid scholarship and
acceptance.
2) An international student friendly
study destination.
3) A destination where they can access
work.
4) Easy transport.
5) Minimum language barrier.
6) Qualifications with international
recognition
7) Culturally acceptable African
culture.
Mengo Senior School students
who obtained scholarships out of a total of 69 applicants in the past seven
years
Study destinations in
the last 7 years include
• USA - 4 Israel
- 5
• Canada - 2 Kenya - 4
• China – 5 India
- 2
• Algeria – 8 Ghana
- 7
• Turkey - 3
• South Africa - 6
• Tanzania (Inter-government Exchange Program) -2
Scholarship
opportunities not taken on due to strong strings attached
• Kofi Annan Scholarships.
• Bank of Jiddha
• Ken Scott Undergraduate Bursaries for
Law.
• Zawadi Scholarship for women in
Uganda, Kenya, Ghana and Mozambique.
• Pakistan Government Scholarship.
• Saudi Arabian Government Scholarship.
• Scholarships from the Government of
Guyana
Mengo admissions on Government sponsorship to Public Universities
UNIVERSITY
|
ADMISSIONS
|
MAKERERE
|
49
|
KYAMBOGO
|
17
|
BUSITEMA
|
03
|
GULU
|
04
|
MUST
|
02
|
MUNI
|
03
|
TOTAL
|
78
|
Mengo admissions on Private sponsorship to Public Universities
UNIVERSITY
|
ADMISSIONS
|
|
MAKERERE
|
|
|
KYAMBOGO
|
|
|
GULU
|
|
|
MUST
|
|
|
TOTAL
|
|
Mengo admissions in
other Tertiary Institutions on Cost Sharing
Tertiary Institutions
|
No
|
Jinja School of Nursing
& Midwifery
|
03
|
Mulago School of Nursing &
Midwifery
|
05
|
Fort Portal & Gulu
Schools of Clinical Officers
|
08
|
Bukalasa & Arapai Agricultural Institutes
|
11
|
Kichwamba, Bushenyi
& Elgon Technical Institutes
|
09
|
Jinja school of Hotel
management
|
03
|
Total
|
39
|
5) General Recommendations
Ø Careers affairs should be included in
teacher training curriculum.
Ø Recognition of free online courses to
skill teachers and students.
Ø Schools and embassies should develop
mechanisms of marketing students.
Ø Invite people who have accessed
international education to talk to students.
Ø The Ministry of Education and Sports
should make diverse ways of making disseminating information to high schools.
Ø Appointment letters for career
teachers.
Ø Government and NGOs should consider
funding on-job trainings for career teachers.
Ø Career guidance exposures for both
teacher and students.
Ø Acquisition of ICT skills for easy access
to free global education opportunities Information Resource Center.
Ø Access to motivational information
about successful personalities
Ø Online career training courses be
recognised.
Ø Consideration of assessment of other
co-curricular activities in addition to sports.
Ø Fund study information opportunity
availability.
Ø Formation of a study opportunity
platform.
Ø Ministry of Education and Sports should
support formation of a regional and national association of career advisers.
Ø Outreaches of study opportunities should
be extended to the majority.
Conclusion
In an era where opportunities to
complete an education cycle is still to the advantage of only some who can
afford, it ceases to be a right but a privilege. But this trend can be reversed the resources we have profitably used for the intended purpose. "Every country was endowed with enough resources to cater for it's people and none for corruption." Mahtma Ghandi.
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