SHIPU and NCDC To Champion Skills and Character for Uganda’s Future

In a pivotal meeting today, the Head of the State House Investors Protection Unit (SHIPU), Col. Edith Nakalema, and the leadership of the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) initiated a collaborative effort aimed at transforming Uganda’s education system to prioritise skills development and moral character.

During the high-level discussions held at SHIPU’s offices in Kampala, Col. Nakalema passionately advocated for the integration of practical skills at every stage of human development, emphasising the need to nurture children’s interests from a young age. “Can we have our children from primary to do something that they are interested in? When we develop these children in the line they want, of course, we shall have positive results,” she stated.

Col. Nakalema underscored the importance of not just anticipating skills but actively implementing and developing them with knowledge. She also raised serious concerns about declining moral standards in the country, asserting that “moral decadence starts from homes and schools because parents and teachers no longer care about character building among the young ones.” She lamented the current education system’s focus on “cram work” over practical skills, questioning the quality of the current generation.

Dr. Grace K. Baguma, Director of NCDC, a corporate autonomous statutory institution under the Ministry of Education and Sports, echoed Col. Nakalema’s sentiments, highlighting the crucial role of skills and values in socio-economic transformation. She identified communication and problem-solving as key skills for promoting investment and development, acknowledging the persistent gap between labour market demands and the available workforce.

Dr. Baguma stressed the “critical need for investment in education, skill development, and employment creation,” attributing chronic structural unemployment and underdevelopment to this skills mismatch. She revealed thatthe  NCDC’s new education curriculum aims to promote skills at basic educational levels. Furthermore, she noted positive feedback from parents observing “attitude change among learners” with the implementation of the new lower curriculum.

Despite these efforts, Dr. Baguma expressed concern about Uganda lagging behind in the region, particularly in communication and problem-solving skills. “Problem-solving as a skill, Uganda is not scoring. We should begin from the stage when the mother conceives and then throughout the education system,” she urged, advocating for a “holistic approach” that includes character formation and ethical grooming within the new curriculum.

In a significant move, Dr. Baguma proposed a partnership between NCDC and SHIPU to guide skills anticipation for Uganda, a proposition Col. Nakalema readily affirmed.

Dr. Bruce Kirenga, Principal of the College of Health Sciences at Makerere University, who was also present, urged NCDC to engage all stakeholders to ensure the skills development initiative is inclusive and beneficial to all Ugandans. He also advised fusing knowledge with skills for optimal outcomes. “The talent and skills should not go alone; it should go with knowledge if you are to get results. Create a curriculum where every child is excellent in some field,” Dr. Kirenga advised.

The collaborative commitment between SHIPU and NCDC signals a renewed focus on reforming Uganda’s education system to produce a workforce equipped with essential skills and strong moral character, ultimately aiming to drive socio-economic growth and address long-standing developmental challenges.