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Armed conflicts have long-lasting
negative impacts on individual human capital, including educational attainment.
The Acholi region endured nearly eighteen years of insurgency under the Lord’s
Resistance Army, which greatly affected the delivery of quality education.
Acholi region has inequitable access
to education compared to the rest of the country. In geographical terms, the 2020
UNICEF Annual Report states that the lowest secondary net enrolment in Uganda
is in Acholi region at 7 per cent, compared to Kampala, the highest at 54 per
cent.
It is against this background that a
team from the Education Policy Review Commission led by Hon. Col. (Rtd.) Amanya
Mushega, the Chair to the Commission visited Acholi region at the end of
September, 2023. The Commission consulted key education stakeholders from the
districts of Agago, Amuru, Gulu, Kitgum, Nwoya, Lamwo, Pader and Omoro
District.
The Commission engaged district
leadership, administrative and education officers to solicit their views and
seek policy proposals for education in Acholi and Uganda. In addition, the
Commission toured several learning facilities and engaged learners, teachers,
managers of schools and parents. At the
end of the tour, the Commission convened a joint stakeholder meeting for the
region in Gulu Municipality which was open to the public.
The people of Acholi raised policy proposals
for improving education in the region.
Some of the policy recommendations are:
1. Revamp learning and standards
of schools: The region reports poor academic performance due limited resources such
as learning materials, infrastructure, low number of teachers, and low quality
of teachers, limited access to learning - especially for secondary education
and tertiary institutions, no access to ICT, lack of school supervision to
enforce standards, among others.
2. Institute an affirmative
education policy for Acholi to boost learning, performance, and absorption in the labor
market. This includes establishing bursaries for the region. This will help the
region improve its quality of education and outcomes.
3. Promote technical and
vocational training in order to produce skilled learners. Establish multiple technical institutions in
the region, and a technical university to cater for academic growth.
4. Compel parents to take and
maintain children of school going age in school. A behavior change program should be
designed to show parents the benefits of keeping children in school.
5. Promote sports by compelling all schools
to participate in annual games. Penalize non participation, so that school
owners can prioritize sports alongside academics. Acholi region has great potential to excel in
sports.
Other issues raised were generic to
nationwide concerns; ranging from curriculum revision, financial support and offering
administrative leave to teachers to allow them upgrade, increased budget
support to schools, the role of parents in providing food and financially
supporting the learning of children, payment disparities between teachers, crowded
classrooms, promotion and salary ceilings for teachers even after upgrading to
a university degree or even master’s degree, uncoordinated transfers or
deployment of teachers between the Education Service Commission and the
District, to, limited powers of District Education Officers in curtailing
substandard learning institutions, among others.
In conclusion, the Education Policy
Review Commission will continue holding public hearings, consultations and
dialogue with key stakeholders across the country. So far, the Commission has consulted people of
Busoga, West Nile, Karamoja and Acholi region to gathers views and proposals about
Uganda’s education and sports sector. The findings will be used to inform the
formulation of a macro policy framework for human capital development in the
country.