By Arthur M. M. Katabalwa.
Yesterday students sitting for their O level exams (S4)
started off on a bad note. At many examination centers, the exams didn't start
off on time. Students resorted to sleeping on their desks as they waited for
the papers to be delivered by the Uganda National Examinations Board, (UNEB).
It was a farce. But the board apologized and they blamed it on the weather. It
was raining yesterday as Uganda starts taking some of the anomalies associated
with the weather event called El nino.
But this failure in time keeping is symptomatic to what is
happening through our education system. The slack that is involved is unbelievable.
I have had some time looking at what students are being taught and how they are
being taught and the findings are scandalous.
First, the system is designed to make students pass exams not
actually understand what they are being taught. A while ago, I had a look at
what my nephews, who are not yet even ten were being taught and I was shocked. They were given homework which required them to use nouns and
pronouns in the most complex constructions one can imagine. And they were doing
it. I, however wondered if this was really needed. Maybe the kids of this
generation are more clever than we were.
Then over the weekend I saw more homework given to a lad who
is close to me of the same age being asked to describe things which can cause
accidents in a home. I am not sure I even knew that the word
"accident" existed when I was seven. But like a parrot, he correctly
named broken glass and a number of other things. I was impressed.
When I was 15, I was taught in minute detail about the
development of countries like the USA, why cities like Tokyo grew to their
current size and what a "conurbation" means. I was never taught why
Masaka exists where it is or why Lyantonde attracted so many people travelling.
At that age, I was not even aware that Kampala was that close to Lake Victoria
it could be a major port rivaling Mwanza and Bukoba. I knew the port was called
Port Bell which was completely different from Luzira.....which in actual sense
it is the same thing.
The business community has recently complained to the
government that universities are spewing out graduates who are illiterate. And
to a large extent I agree. One should prepare for themselves for any
application forms if they are in position to receive any for the scourge of
short texting is very apparent.
We are in a situation where our educational credentials will
not be worth the paper they are written on when we have leading academicians and politicians like Professor Bukenya not being able to honor their words, flip flopping
between political entities for purely personal gain. This is something that is
permeating through the system from when we decide to take our children to
nursery and deprive them of a childhood by expecting them to work at a level
which is beyond what they should comprehend.
 |
| Professor Gilbert Bukenya. |
The government is not interested in education only trumpeting
the UPE system which in my view was a vote appeaser. I have spoken to a head
teacher from a school near Kasanje in Wakiso district and he outlined the
difficulties he faces. The government gives each student about UGX30000 per
term (about $9). That is to cater for all their needs for a term which last
about 12 weeks. Parents have been told that as the government pays for their
kids education, they don't have to pay for a thing. So students are arriving
with no pens or paper and no snacks for the day. And to compound matters,
teachers are being paid next to nothing so they have other businesses.
That is the situation of our education system where
examination finals are arriving late and no one will take responsibility of the
fiasco because of the rain. The students who are sitting these exams have faced
all odds imaginable to get to that examination room. But also the truth of the
matter is that even if they pass these exams, they may not be able to be worth
anything because they have probably studied things that they didn't want to in
the first place. They have learnt parrot fashion
from a teaching staff which in many cases are diverted to other things, not
because they don't want to teach but they have to survive. So when UNEB delivers the exams late, they have no option but to put their heads down and sleep as is the whole system doing; asleep.
mwenky99@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment