Education and Skills Development

The Education and Sports sector is responsible for the delivery of equitable, relevant and quality education, training and sports services for all. The sector comprises of seven sub-sectors namely: (i) Pre-Primary and Primary Education (ii) Secondary Education (iii) Business, Technical, Vocational Education and Training (BTVET) (iv) Teacher Instructor Education and Training (v) Higher Education (vi) Science, Technology and Innovation and (vii) Physical Education and Sports. The key stakeholders include Government, Private Sector, CSOs and Development Partners.

The Government, through the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Sports, relevant Line Ministries and Local Governments, sets the standards, provides technical guidance, supports, coordinates, monitors and evaluates policies and regulates the sector players. Other public institution sin regulation, standard setting and delivery of education services include; the National Council for Higher Education, National Council of Sports, National Council for Science and Technology, National Curriculum Development Center, Education Service Commission, National Examination Bodies, Directorate of Education Standards, Professional Institutions and public education, training and research institutions.

Private sector and CSOs play an active role in delivery of education and training. Development Partners are key stakeholders in providing financial and technical where all stakeholders are involved in the planning and implementation of Sector plans.

According to the National Development Plan 2014/2015 to 2019/2020, While the sector has made considerable progress especially in increasing access to education at all levels, a number of outstanding issues still need to be addressed in the next five years, key of which are; lack of Early Childhood Development programmes and policy direction, low quality of education at all levels, low completion rate at primary and high dropout rate especially among girls. In addition, the education system does not facilitate adequate skills acquisition especially at post primary levels

The skills development sub-sector is responsible for provision of employable skills that are critical for socioeconomic transformation of the country. The sub-sector comprises public and private training institutions as well as firm-based training Programmes.

The Ministry of Education, Sports, Science and Technology through its BTVET function and the Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT) provides policy direction, sets skills development standards, coordinates, monitors and regulates curriculum development, licenses training institutions, and provides certification and accreditation. The private sector, Faith Based Organizations and CSOs are closely involved in the delivery of skills. Development Partners are key stakeholders in providing financial and technical support.

The pressing challenges faced in this area include: inadequate skills mix to support increased production and expansion; poor work readiness of many young people leaving formal secondary and tertiary education and entering the labour market for the first time; inadequate linkages between institutional (employers) and workplace learning; lack of basic numeracy, literacy, and entry-level skills and work-based training; continuing skills shortages in the artisanal, technical and professional fields that are fundamental to the development and growth of our economy; lack of synergy between the various post-school sub-systems; lack of clarity in relation to the role expected of the various parts of the skills development system; inefficiency and waste; the silo mentality which prevents the partnerships and alignments needed to improve effectiveness; and the absence of coherent strategies within economic and industrial sectors, compounded by the lack of systematic skills development to support and sustain growth and development.

Care Africa Community Initiatives Uganda aspires to make contributions in the Education and Skills development sphere by way of the following;

Strategic Objective 1: Achieve equitable access to relevant and quality education and training.

Strategic Interventions

Develop and implement programs targeted to disadvantaged communities, marginalized groups and students with special learning needs.

Establish a career advisory and job placement system for post primary levels.

Provide gender sensitive sanitation facilities that would address special needs of girls and boys.

Increase the number of scholarships for disadvantaged areas to enroll in higher education.

Strategic Objective 2: Ensure delivery of relevant and quality education and training

Strategic Interventions

Rehabilitate, expand and equip existing facilities at primary, secondary and post-secondary levels.

Support and strengthen partnerships with the private sector to ensure quality education at primary, secondary and post-secondary.

Implement community coach qualification initiatives to ensure talent initiation, identification and development by the qualified competent coaches at all levels.

Strategic Objective 3: To increase equitable access to appropriate skills training at all levels.

Strategic Interventions

Promote establishment of skills development institutions through Private Public Partnerships.

Support non-formal skills providers.

Develop positive perceptions; mindset change and attitude; work ethics; and cultural values and norms towards hands-on training.

Increase entrepreneurship skills development for women and mentoring of girls.

Strategic Objective 4: Improve quality and relevance of skills development.

Strategic Interventions

Strengthen delivery of competencies for the workplace, higher education and lifelong skills.

Strategic Objective 5: To enhance efficiency and effectiveness in skills delivery

Strategic Interventions

Develop a strategy to identify and nurture talent development for in and out of school youth.

Promote establishment of research, innovation and technology incubation centers.