President Yoweri Museveni has emphasized the need to review the country’s education curriculum with the aim of churning out professionals with the right labour-market driven skills that also readily provide answers to the current world demands. He said that while the colonial education system was designed to produce clerks and administrators to support the colonial government, today’s education should provide skills with a science bias that can provide practical solutions to the current human needs.
The President made the remarks yesterday at Mary Hill High School in Mbarara Municipality, where he was chief guest at the school’s Golden Jubilee celebrations. Mary Hill High School was the first girl’s secondary school in the Ankole Sub-Region. The school was founded in 1961 by the Missionary Sisters of Mary and Joseph from Ireland who were invited by former Mbarara Diocesan Bishop, the late Rt. Rev. John Mary Ogez.
The President said that given the new demands in the world and the rising levels of unemployment, there was need to review the education system that focuses on the teaching of science and technology as well as equipping students with entrepreneurial skills in order to enable them secure self-employment opportunities after completing their formal education studies.
He, therefore, urged the Ministry of Education and Sports in collaboration with parents, to always endeavour and avail career guidance to students as regards the necessary and right skills as well as professions that they should undertake while in school. He noted that professionals such as medical doctors, nurses, engineers and science teachers, are still on high demand on the labor market. He encouraged students to undertake those professions.
Mr. Museveni congratulated Mary Hill High Schools upon 50 years of its existence. He described the story of the school as the biblical tale of sowing a mustard seed and said from a humble beginning with only 25 students, the school now has 1,200 students and thousands of alumunies. He also hailed the school for being pioneers of inter-denominational enrolment which distinguished the institution from most of the post independence schools.
The President, who commissioned a new science block that was built to commemorate the golden jubilee, contributed Shs.80 million towards its completion. He also said that government will continue to budget and avail sufficient resources to the education sector in line with its plan to train, build and strengthen the country’s human resource base.
The President was quite interested by an innovation by one of the Mary Hill High School students who has assembled a robot implement that is capable of sweeping, collecting and pouring rubbish.
The Minister of Education and Sports, Hon. Jesca Alupo, congratulated the management and students of Mary Hill High School upon their 50 years of existence and for maintaining the school’s impressive academic standards. She announced that Mary Hill High School was among the schools to benefit from the government grant from the African Development Bank that is aimed at developing some schools as centers of excellence in the country. She said that Mary Hill High School would receive a grant of Shs.2.7 billion and bursary benefits for 20 students. Mrs. Atim Margaret, who is the school’s headmistress, paid tribute to its founders, the Sisters of Mary and Joseph, for having a bright vision for the education of the girl child. She also commended them for embracing inter-denominational admissions noting that sectarianism has no place in the education system. She said that the school has for long, emphasized the teaching of science subjects on top of promoting discipline amongst its students.
The celebrations were also attended by the Papal Nuncio in Uganda, Archbishop Paul Tschang In-Nam, several political and religious leaders.
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