MPs on Education and Sports Committee Want Overhaul of proposed Education Policies

By Sadique Bamwita

With some proposed Education policies like National Teachers’ policy, feeding and health of children in schools among other policies yet to be implemented, some Legislators on the Parliamentary Committee on Education and sports have prophesied doom in their applicability.

The Legislators say these policies will not work because the Ministry of Education and sports has failed to motivate teachers who would take a lead in the effective implementation of the proposed policies.

Speaking to The Second Opinion  in Entebbe during an interaction between Members of Parliament on the Parliamentary Committee on Education and Sports and the Ministry of Education officials, some opposition Legislators led by Entebbe Municipality MP, Hon. Micheal Kakembo

Mbwatekamwa, argues that the said Education policies are not pragmatic because politicians were not involved while drafting them but are only involved during the approval. 

“They involve us during the approval process yet we are key stakeholders in the drafting, but everything was done by the so called technocrats which is wrong” Hon. Kakembo roared.

Hon. Kakembo said that in order to improve the Education sector in Uganda, the Government should adopt a comprehensive policy that will manage sports alone.

He revealed   that it was a big mistake to include sports to the Ministry of Education.

“We are supposed to have a separate ministry for sports in order to promote talent among the young school going children. Government should reconsider separating Education and Sports as independent Ministries.Hon. Kakembo castigated officials from the Ministry of Education and Sports for wasting taxpayers’ money to organize conferences in executive Hotels in pretense of discussing Education policies which never materialized. 

” This is total wastage of money to call Legislators in a workshop to discuss Education policies  and at the end of the day each is paid 100 Us dollars per day yet a teacher is paid peanuts as salary” Kakembo pointed out.

He further dissented with the proposed National Teachers’ policy which requires a teacher to have a degree to teach a primary school and advised the Government to first motivate Grade three teachers before they think of recruiting graduate teachers.

“Government doesn’t know what to do in order to improve Education in the country. That’s why it’s proposing a degree for a primary teacher yet grade two teachers used to be the best teachers. Really this is a sign of a falling regime which has run out of new ideas.

On the other hand, Hon. John Twesigye Ntamuhiira, the chairperson of the Parliamentary committee on Education and sports as well as the legislator for Bunyaruguru County, Rubirizi district, said some of the Legislators don’t understand the Education policies very well and hence there is need to make them understand the mandate of the Ministry of Education and sports.