General
Prof. Senteza Kajubi Lecture Re-awakens Debate on Quality Education
The Second Professor William Senteza Kajubi Memorial Lecture was yet another opportunity for the family, friends and educationists from all over Uganda and beyond to celebrate the life of this gallant alumnus and career teacher. Held in the Central Teaching Facility 2 (CTF 2) Auditorim, Makerere University on Thursday 14th November 2019, the Lecture was organised by the College of Education and External Studies (CEES) with support from friends and the family of the late Professor William Senteza Kajubi.
Delivering the keynote address on the theme, "Fostering the Quality of Education in Uganda" the Vice Chancellor, Uganda Christian University (UCU) Rev. Canon Dr. John Senyonyi expressed his joy at being chosen to deliver the Second Memorial Lecture in honour of a man he first met as an S.5 student at King’s College Budo in 1973.
“Prof. Senteza Kajubi later on become my Vice Chancellor at Makerere University, where I returned in 1978 to teach in the Department of Mathematics” he added.
Rev. Canon Senyonyi’s lecture was insightful and holistic as it tackled the subject of quality right from pre-primary level to higher tertiary education institutions. It regularly posed questions that provoked members of the audience to ponder, and was full of quotes from fellow educationists, philosophers and world leaders.
One of these was from the President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address of 1961, “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.”
His resounding call at the end of each discourse on a level of education was the need for Government to step in and regulate the seemingly ‘runaway’ establishment of institutions. In particular, he noted that “Government should take a keen interest in Pre-Primary education… setting up an independent institution to handle the regulation of Pre-Primary Education will ensure quality right from the start.”
Dr. Senyonyi explained that learners at this stage are very susceptible to bias and any bad experience that causes them to detest going to school could stay with them the rest of their academic life. This, he noted, is much harder to undo as the student advances, hence the need to ensure quality right from the foundational stages.
The discourse on Higher Tertiary Education is where the need for better quality came to roost. Here, Dr. Senyonyi started on a poignant note saying “Higher Education might not be for all and yet the development of our country cannot do without it…”
He discussed the mismatch between the increasing numbers of graduates who cannot find jobs and the job market that cannot absorb qualified ones owing to their lack of practical skills. The Keynote speaker in this case proposed the need to establish a network of incubation centres, where learners ought to spend considerable time honing their ability to translate the theory learnt in class into practical skills.
The presence of strong regulatory bodies in any industry is one of the guarantors of good quality outputs. Dr. Senyonyi in this case called for the need to strengthen the education regulatory bodies by funding them adequately. He noted that this would be the only way to ensure that these bodies are able to carry out their work autonomously and effectively, political interference notwithstanding.
Touching on the sensitive subject of moonlighting by lecturers, Dr. Senyonyi shared that “it is a reality today that universities are sharing full-time staff.” He attributed this to the lack of a critical mass of qualified lecturers and the absence of a proper tracking mechanism. The UCU Vice Chancellor therefore called for the need to establish a database of all academic staff by which they can be monitored and accredited.
The evolution of technology and its effect on teaching and learning was another subject that the keynote address tackled. “Higher Tertiary Education cannot ignore the need for E-learning, E-teaching, E-Libraries and other E-resources in the delivery of quality education” noted Dr. Senyonyi. He however, warned against “death of contact” as the negative consequence of e-learning. Personal contact between teachers and their students, he noted, is important in imparting other social skills useful in the job market.
Conducting prolific research without a clear strategy for dissemination is a drawback for many academic institutions and research agencies. In his now familiar style of posing questions, Dr. Senyonyi challenged his audience to reveal the conferences or other platforms through which Ugandan research institutes and bodies disseminate the findings of their work.
Funding for Higher Education Institutions is another topic whose discussion can rage on for days. Dr. Senyonyi who presides over a privately-funded institution challenged his hosts despite being a Government-funded institution, not to overly rely on this mode of funding. He instead recommended that Higher Education Institutions be supported by Government to build endowment funds, which can then be used to fund their operations.
The keynote lecture discussant Dr. David Onen, Senior Lecturer, CEES, was equally up to the task as he gave an emotional but rousing response to the keynote address. He thanked his college of recognizing Prof. William Senteza Kajubi, noting that his contribution to Uganda’s education sector cannot be ignored. The discussant therefore gave his response in the context of Prof. Senteza Kajubi’s exemplary life versus the current situation.
Dr. Onen cautioned the audience to think about the inequality that has cropped up in our schools in terms of different amounts of fees paid by schools in Kampala and those in the rural areas. He noted that this inevitably leads to a difference in the quality of education delivered in rural and urban settings, which wasn’t the case when Prof. Senteza Kajubi went to school.
“Professor Senteza Kajubi loved teaching, he loved his colleagues and his students unlike today’s teachers who are no longer dedicated” said Dr. Onen as he addressed another topic, before adding “Most teachers in Uganda today are angry people; they come to class annoyed and leave even more annoyed.”
The discussant also shared that whereas Prof. Kajubi did not attain a PhD, his writings and manuscripts portray him as a man of quality and a distinguished scholar. He added that as an Educational Administrator, Prof. Senteza Kajubi was a jolly man who knew how to cooperate with colleagues.
Dr. Onen however decried what he termed as ‘today’s generation’s loss of the sense of what true quality is’, instead settling for anything goes. “Quality education must focus on truth” he appealed. “However, people only say what they want people to hear and as a result, truth is a causality among us for several reasons” added Dr. Onen almost sorrowfully.
The discussant concluded his response by noting that none of the recommendations made by Dr. Senyonyi in his keynote address, unfortunately, were new to the audience. He nevertheless noted that we, as a country, need to do a better job of implementing the wonderful recommendations of various committees.
Responding to the day’s presentations, the Principal CEES, Prof. Fred Masagazi Masaazi reassured the audience that the content from Dr. Senyonyi’s keynote address and Dr. Onen’s response would be published so as to reach a wider audience. He added that the findings from the keynote address and recommendations from the day’s proceedings would be shared with stakeholders in the Ministry of Education and Sports.
Delivering his remarks at the lecture, the Acting Vice Chancellor and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs), Dr. Umar Kakumba, quoting a poem paying tribute to Professor William Senteza Kajubi following his demise, noted that “he was a candle that lit other candles”. He therefore thanked CEES, friends and Prof. Senteza Kajubi’s family for ensuring that his legacy still lives on today through events such as the Memorial lecture.
Dr. Kakumba shared that Makerere University has made great strides in training quality human resource for Uganda and the region as was shown by the diversity of alumni; some well over 60 years of age, who graced the Memorial Lecture. “Our very own Chairperson of Council is an alumna of the School of Education” he added, followed by thunderous applause and cheers from the audience.
The Acting Vice Chancellor nevertheless challenged CEES to organize more debates discussing the quality of education and topics of similar importance, especially as Makerere University prepares to celebrate 100 years of existence in 2022.
The Chief Guest at the Memorial Lecture and Chairperson of Council, Mrs. Lorna Magara in her address to the gathering thanked the University Management and CEES for organizing the Memorial Lecture and encouraged them to continue providing many similar forums where in-depth discussions that are of generational impact on society can be shared.
“I am honoured to be at this very distinguished session and discussion celebrating the life of Professor William Senteza Kajubi who was a door opener; he opened doors of opportunity for many” she said.
Mrs. Magara added that quality education is a multi-dimensional aspect that goes beyond the transference of information from teacher to student to the impartation of life. She therefore decried the current trend that celebrates the academic prowess of a few prolific candidates and not quality education.
“It saddens my heart when for weeks after the release of PLE results by UNEB, our newspapers are awash with candidates who have got 4 aggregates… what we applaud becomes the standard… can we kindly move away from the 4 aggregates to what the value of quality education is?” pondered Mrs. Magara.
The Chairperson of Council concluded her remarks by urging all teachers to ensure that they go beyond simply communicating knowledge to being the true embodiment of quality in whatever they do and the character they portray to their students.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Mr. Wasswa Kajubi could not help but express his gratitude to Makerere University, CEES, friends and sponsors for the spirit and effort that goes into organizing the Professor William Senteza Kajubi Memorial Lecture. Wasswa is a son, and one half of the three sets of twins that Professor William Senteza Kajubi and his wife Princess Elsie Nabaloga had, a feat that none of the offspring are yet to replicate. He nevertheless sent the audience into rapturous laughter when he added, “however, there is still hope and in the spirit of the Gayaza High School motto, we shall NEVER GIVE UP.”
Mr. Kajubi also thanked several distinguished personalities as well as all members of the audience for sparing time off their busy schedules to attend the Memorial Lecture. He concluded by thanking CEES for hosting and maintaining the bust erected in honour of Professor William Senteza Kajubi at the School of Education.
Please see Downloads for the Keynote address and Response
Article by Public Relations Office
Related article
Mak Immortalises Prof. William Senteza Kajubi
The Gender Mainstreaming Directorate (GMD), Makerere University on 14th September 2021 presented findings from phase one of the study on Enhancing Women’s Participation and Visibility in Leadership and Decision-Making Organs of Public Universities in Uganda through Action Research. The study team led by the Director GMD and Principal Investigator (PI), Dr. Euzobia Mugisha Baine also consists of Assoc. Prof. Consolata Kabonesa, Dr. Anna Ninsiima, Ms. Frances Nyachwo, Ms. Susan Mbabazi and Mr. Eric Tumwesigye.
The team is also made of coordinators from participating Universities such as Busitema University-Ms. Elizabeth Birabwa, Kabale University-Sr. Dr. Eva Tumusiime, Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST)-Dr. Specioza Twinamasiko, Muni University-Ms. Amandru Stella Wawa, and Gulu Univeristy-Sr. Rosalba Aciro.
Funded by the Government of Uganda through the Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund (Mak-RIF), the study was inspired by the fact that women are persistently few in numbers as staff, more so in leadership and decision-making organs of Ugandan Public Universities. “This is despite all the various efforts at national and international levels; the numbers are not growing as fast as needed to meet development goals of the country” explained Dr. Euzobia.
Based on this background, the study team therefore sought to conduct a situational analysis of the gender terrain of the six public universities to obtain baseline information encompassing the composition of governance and leadership organs and senior staff by sex, as well as a needs assessment and profiles of potential mentors and mentees.
Furthermore, the team sought to explore the capacity to conduct gender-responsive research as well as the role of male staff engagement in gender equity interventions within the universities as the drivers of development.
Dr. Mugisha-Baine shared that results of the baseline would then be used to design participatory training manuals or guides on gender and leadership. The manuals would cover; Institutionalized mentorship, How to conduct gender-responsive research, gender and equity budgeting, among others.
“Within these manuals, we shall have a male staff engagement strategy in gender equity interventions in universities” she explained.
The development of the aforementioned materials would then be followed by their adoption and use to build capacity for women not only in leadership of participating and other public university but also beyond. “We shall periodically evaluate whether the capacity we have built has influenced women’s participation in leadership and decision-making organs of the university” supplemented the PI.
The capacity building trainings for women, it is envisaged, will lay the foundation for the formation of a functional Uganda University Women’s Think Tank, starting with the six participating universities. Dr. Mugisha Baine added that through this Think Tank, a monitoring and tracking system for gender representation in recruitment, promotion, retention/turnover and leadership of public universities shall be established and maintained.
At the conclusion of phase one, the study team had drafted participatory training manuals in gender and leadership with content on; gender specific critical analysis of the leadership spectrum of public universities, positioning of individual women within the institutional framework and strategies for their advancement, gender equity advocacy in the university setting, institutional mentorship, building capacity in conducting gender-responsive research, among others.
“This content will be validated by the participating universities before the actual research training is conducted” added the PI.
On behalf of the research team, Dr. Mugisha Baine thanked the Government of Uganda for providing the resources that facilitated phase one of the study and prayed that the Mak-RIF Grants Management Committee (GMC) would support the next phase of capacity building.
Speaking on behalf of the Mak-RIF GMC Chairperson, Prof. William Bazeyo, Dr. Helen Nambalirwa Nkabala thanked and congratulated the team led by the Director GMD upon the milestones registered in the critical research.
“We are very proud of that work that is being done by all researchers in Mak-RIF and we would like to most sincerely thank Management for all the support throughout this process” she remarked.
Dr. Nkabala encouraged the research team to continue disseminating and using the findings for the furtherance of gender mainstreaming, particularly through the aspect of male staff engagement in gender equity interventions.
Prior to delivering the keynote address of the day, the Executive Director National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) Prof. Mary Okwakol thanked the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe for inviting her to the important forum, noting that women’s participation in decision making and governance is a priority area of the Uganda Gender Policy 2007.
She commended Makerere University for being at the forefront of gender mainstreaming in Uganda, noting that this prominence was one of the reasons why the Gender in Education Policy 2007 provides for replicating the institution’s strategy in all other Higher Education Institutions.
Prof. Okwakol whose keynote address was punctuated incisive personal examples reaffirmed the statistics that women are generally not visible in leadership of Universities. That notwithstanding, in instances where they rise to leadership and decision-making positions, they are regularly subject to roles traditionally deemed as women’s inconsiderate of their managerial seniority and experience.
She nevertheless rallied the women to play their respective roles in enhancing participation and visibility at a personal level. The following were some of the strategies she proposed; work hard to acquire academic credentials so as to compete favourably with men, acquire necessary administrative training and experience, network among women, join professional networks as well as do research and publish.
On joining professional networks, she shared her personal experience as a young zoologist who joined UNESCO’s Tropical Biology and Fertility Programme. “Within a short time I was appointed Coordinator for Africa and after two years, I was elected as a Member of the International Board of Management. After serving for two years, I became Vice Chairperson of that Board and finally I became Chairperson of that International Board.”
At the institutional level, Prof. Okwakol appealed to the Chairperson Council and Vice Chancellor to proactively recruit women who meet the requirements for leadership positions even if it means actively seeking out the reluctant ones. In this regard, she shared that it would be useful for the university to develop a database of women and their qualifications to ease this process.
She shared that NCHE has in recognition of female underrepresentation at every level in Higher Education approved the establishment of a Gender and Equity Unit with the aim of promoting inclusive gender participation in the sub-sector.
“This unit has been placed under the Directorate of Quality Assurance and Accreditation which implies that as we look out for and regulate quality, gender will be a very important aspect of that regulation” she reassured.
Prof. Okwakol concluded by urging participants to read the; Third National Development Plan (NDPIII), Uganda Vision 2040, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) noting that there is no way all three can be achieved while women are left behind because they each make a case for inclusion of the female gender.
“What we are addressing here are historical injustices” said Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe as he commenced his remarks, “And in the case of Makerere University, it is well known that the institution started as a male-only institution and we all know the original motto was ‘Let us be men’” he added.
Citing examples from history such as; Marie Curie – one of the smartest physicists, Hatshepsut, Nefertiti and Cleopatra – prominent Pharaohs of Egypt, George Eliot, Rosa Luxemburg and Hypatia – all great philosophers as well as Chancellor Angela Merkel – first female Chancellor of Germany, the Vice Chancellor said there is no plausible argument that there are things women cannot do as well as their male counterparts.
He said it was against this knowledge and in a bid to correct historical injustices that Makerere University pioneered initiatives such as putting in place affirmative action for girls, establishing a Gender Mainstreaming Directorate as well as a School of Women and Gender Studies. The Vice Chancellor nevertheless stressed the need to go beyond pioneering to protecting these gains through legislation. “Historically we have seen that discrimination can only be addressed by laws and policies.”
Prof. Nawangwe thanked the Government for providing funds to support Mak-RIF as well as the Funds GMC and Secretariat for ensuring that these funds are put to good use. He equally thanked the Chairperson of Council, Mrs. Lorna Magara for her not only her support but also sparing time to attend a good number of the research dissemination events.
Delivering the concluding remarks, Mrs. Magara acknowledged that the study was timely and relevant the contemporary University, as one of the critical drivers of the national and international development agenda. She therefore reechoed the Vice Chancellor’s thanks to the Government of Uganda for generously supporting the University’s research through Mak-RIF.
Turning to the keynote speaker she said, “I thank Prof. Okwakol for ardently discussing the critical issues affecting the female gender, the strategies to overcome the challenges, including sharing her inspiring personal experiences.”
Mrs. Magara equally thanked Prof. Okwakol for her very instructional analysis, providing mentorship guidance with the resultant impact of enhancing the female gender in decision-making positions. In the same breath she congratulated the PI and her team upon successfully concluding phase one of the project.
“Phase one has generated insights in understanding the status of women in leadership in public universities, the legal and policy framework and its implications on women’s visibility, the institutional mentoring systems and the gaps therein” she observed.
The Chairperson of Council acknowledged that the challenge of underrepresentation of women in leadership roles cannot be resolved at an individual level. She therefore advocated for broad based strategies that can address deep-seated structural and cultural biases facing women. “These include developing mentorship networks, enacting laws and policies that address the imbalances and providing training programmes to address the leadership gaps.”
She therefore pledged the University Council’s unwavering support to the Gender Mainstreaming Programme by ensuring an enabling policy environment that facilitates gender-responsive teaching, learning, research innovation and community service.
The research dissemination was moderated by the Principal Public Relations Officer (PRO), Ms. Ritah Namisango and the Director Communications, Learning and Knowledge Management, ResilientAfrica Network (RAN) and PRO Mak-RIF, Ms. Harriet Adong.
