Education
CPD, Networking Platforms, Mentorship Needed to Enhance Capacities of Women to Leadership Positions in Uganda
On Thursday 5th November, 2020, a project titled Enhancing Capacities of Women to Leadership Positions in Universities in Uganda (WOLEP) held a Dissemination Event at the Central Teaching Facility 1 (CTF1), Makerere University. The Principal Investigator (PI) WOLEP is Dr. Florence Nakamanya, Lecturer, East African School of Higher Education Studies and Development (EASHESD), College of Education and External Studies (CEES). The WOLEP team that also includes Assoc. Prof. Ronald Bisaso and Ms. Sharon Ainmbabazi recommended that Continuous Professional Development (CPD), Suitable Networking Platforms and Structured Mentorship Programmes are needed to enhance capacities of both incumbent and aspiring women leaders in Uganda’s Higher Education sector. The Dean, EASHESD, Assoc. Prof. Ronald Bisaso who was the moderator welcomed members to the dissemination and gave a preamble of the WOLEP project. The event started with a prayer led by Sr. Bernadette Lutaaya.
The event attracted a number of distinguished personalities who attended both physically and online. In attendance online were; Prof. Joy C. Kwesiga, the Vice Chancellor of Kabale University and the Guest of Honour, Prof. William Bazeyo, the Chairperson Grants Management Committee (GMC), Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund (Mak-RIF), Prof. Charles Masembe, GMC Member, Prof. Fred Masagazi Masaazi,the Principal, College of Education and External Studies(CEES), Ms. Harriet Adong, Head, Communication, RIF, Prof. Monica Chibita, Dean, Faculty of Journalism, Media and Communication, Uganda Christian University (UCU), Assoc. Prof. Betty Ezati, Dean, School of Education, Makerere University and GMC Member. In the physical meeting, we had the project team members, women leaders from Ugandan Universities including Makerere University, Kyambogo University, Ndejje University, Kampala International University, St. Lawrence University, Al-Mustafa Islamic College and female employees from the National Planning Authority (NPA) among others.
Dr. Nakamanya in her presentation highlighted that the project was made possible with funding from the Government of the Republic of Uganda through Mak-RIF. The PI noted that there exist leadership training programmes aimed at building capacities of female leaders in different parts of the world including Uganda. However, the numbers of women in leadership positions are still miserably low. For instance, she noted, we have only three female Vice Chancellors in Uganda and yet there are over 50 universities. Besides, the leadership training programmes provided are adhoc in nature, they are developed in the western world and adapted to African context, do not meet the current and emerging needs and largely depend on the availability of funding. This then created the need for the WOLEP project.
She enlisted the objectives the project as follows;
- To analyze the Leadership-related Training Programmes (LTPs) that women in leadership positions in universities in Uganda have attended.
- To establish the leadership-related competence profile for women in leadership positions in universities in Uganda.
- To investigate whether the existing leadership-related training programmes influence women’s aspirations and progression to leadership training positions in universities in Uganda.
- To examine women’s experiences with the existing Leadership-related Training Programmes in universities in Uganda.
- To identify the capacity needs and what works for women to occupy leadership positions in universities in Uganda.
The WOLEP project employed an interpretive approach to research because the team wanted to get an in-depth understanding of the issue that was under investigation. The participants of the project included the incumbent and aspiring female leaders. The Incumbents comprised of senior female leaders like Vice Chancellors, the middle leaders (Deputy Principals and Deans) and the lower leaders such as examination and research coordinators. The aspiring female leaders constituted any female academic member of staff in the university. The participants were purposively selected on the basis that they had ever attended a leadership-related training programmes and were drawn from the different categories of Ugandan Universities. The universities were categorized into public, private religious-affiliated and private-for-profit universities. Data was collected through interviewing 29 participants comprising of 2 senior female leaders, 9 middle female leaders, 9 lower female leaders and 9 aspiring female leaders.
The findings of the study include;
Objective One, where different Leadership-related Training Programmes (LTPs) were analyzed: It was discovered that the participants had attended international leadership-related programmes. Whereas the senior female leaders had participated in programmes organized by the Commonwealth, Higher Education Resources Services, Inter-University Council of East Africa, RUFORUM, the middle female leaders highlighted trainings such as the International Deans’ Course adn COACH AFRICA workshops in South Africa and Finland. Importantly, the international trainings were attended by mostly participants at all levels of leadership from the public universities. The middle female leaders had attended national leadership-related trainings particularly those organized by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) whereas the lower and aspiring female leaders had mostly participated in internal institutional trainings.
Objective Two, which was about the competence profile of female leaders: She said that during the interviews, the participants shared competences related to leadership and management, teaching and research. Specifically, competences related to pedagogy, curriculum, research, social challenges, customer care, ICT, confidence building, teamwork, conflict resolution among others. She asked participants to reflect on how they teach and supervise graduate students in higher education.
Objective Three, on whether the existing LTPs influenced women’s aspirations and progression to Leadership: The female leaders shared that the training enabled them to acquire knowledge, share experiences, provided opportunities for personal professional development and networking. In-depth analysis had confirmed that the female leaders’ experiences with the existing LTPs influenced their desire to aspire and progress to academic and administrative leadership positions in Ugandan universities. For example, a female senior leader serving in a public university had said that “we are always given an opportunity to share experiences in the leadership training programmes. I ask colleagues and they would tell me how to solve it. I would get tips that I learn which makes me perform better in my work.”
Objective Four focused on experiences with LTPs: The focus was on the programme structure, stakeholder involvement and post-training experiences. The participants shared that the content provided in the trainings was too broad, theoretical and delivered in a very short period of time and yet very costly. She noted that there was limited stakeholder involvement, the training needs analysis was hardly done and there was unclear selection process. It was also found out that most of the LTPs that female leaders attend in Ugandan universities lacked the aspect of mentorship and did not make follow-ups. In view of this, achievement of the intended outcomes was constrained.
Objective Five identified the Capacity Needs for female leaders: The findings showed that the female incumbent and aspiring leaders would like to be capacitated in areas including networking and mentorship, research and publishing as well as leadership and management skills.
The study concluded that:
- Female leaders had attended International, National, and Institutional LTPs.
- The competence profile of female leaders comprised of leadership and management, teaching and research skills developed from the training programmes.
- LTPs had influenced women’s desire to aspire and progress to leadership positions.
- LTPs were too costly, theoretical with broad content, with limited stakeholders’ involvement, no follow up and lacked mentorship opportunities.
- Networking, mentorship, research and publishing as well as leadership and management skills were the capacity needs of incumbent and aspiring female leaders in Ugandan Universities.
The study recommended that:
- Continuous Professional Development should be rolled out for both incumbent and aspiring female leaders. The modularized programme that has been developed out of the current study will span a reasonable period of time and will be flexibly delivered using blended training approaches at the East African School of Higher Education Studies and Development, Makerere University.
- Universities should initiate sustainable networking platforms that provide avenues for incumbent and aspiring leaders to share experiences, challenges and new insights on how to perform their duties through periodic meetings and reflective seminars that could be flexibly organized or delivered using online technologies and social learning platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, Zoom etc.
- The Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development and other relevant stakeholders should collaboratively initiate and support robust structured mentorship programmes for women in higher education where those with rich experience are invited to share their life stories which could be published in different formats like videos and used to continually nurture aspiring leaders and equally enhance women’s progression to leadership
The study proposed an intervention/solution/programme informed by a range of capacity needs that were highlighted by women at the different levels of leadership. The two modules developed to be flexibly delivered are:
- Leadership and Management in Higher Education
- Career Advancement of Women in Higher Education
The PI shared a quote by Sheryl Sandberg:“If more women are in leadership roles, we’ll stop assuming they shouldn’t be”.
In her welcome remarks, Prof. Joy Kwesiga the Guest of Honour congratulated the project team on the important research in which she participated and that she had been looking forward to the general research results. She highlighted that there was a minimal number of females that participate in higher education leadership. She shared her past experience while serving in Makerere University and expected the findings to trigger reflection on how to increase the number of women in leadership positions through established policies, support mechanisms and practices. Prof. Kwesiga noted that when the only female presidential candidate Nancy Kalembe said that females are going to break the glass ceiling and that becoming president was one of them, her mind was drawn to the importance of gender perspectives in leadership and management, in teaching, and research. Finally, she said she was glad that the study had been successfully conducted and that it would open up into a wider field so that we can have specialists.
The Principal CEES, Prof. Fred Masagazi Masaazi in his remarks, congratulated the lead researcher Dr. Nakamanya Florence and the research team upon attaining the milestone. He said that, whereas research was a boost to our academic endeavors, it was also a springboard for opening up space for national development. He further said that he strongly believed that the findings would go a long way in informing gender policy and other aspects related to gender and Higher Education. He thanked the Dean, East African School of Higher Education Studies and Development (EASHESD), for the support in ensuring that the School contributes to the body of knowledge, and for impacting on the College’s visibility. He further thanked the Mak-RIF team for the support and for identifying and funding the special area of study on enhancing capacities of women to leadership positions in universities. He concluded by noting that young researchers like Dr. Nakamanya were pillars for the University’s development.
Prof. Charles Masembe, Member of the Mak-RIF Grants Management Committee (GMC) in his speech welcomed the participants noting that they had been drawn from different universities and organisations. He thanked them for making time to attend the dissemination. He thanked the researchers and innovators for their tireless efforts. In a special way, he thanked the Government of Uganda for the continued support to Makerere University and for funding research through Mak-RIF. He further said that for a country to move from lower to middle income status, it needs research. In addition, he said that Mak-RIF is aimed at complementing available research funding to address unfunded priorities critical to accelerating development across different sectors of the economy in Uganda. He was happy that the WOLEP project had unearthed the capacity needs of the different categories of female leaders. He implored the project team to partner with a range of stakeholders to address the capacity needs as they roll out the project’s proposed training programme.
Prof. William Bazeyo Chairperson Mak-RIF Grants Management Committee (GMC), thanked the organizers for the Dissemination. He highlighted that this was the first dissemination he had attended ever since the fund started. He congratulated Dr. Florence Nakamanya and her team and thanked the Principal, Professor Masagazi for supporting research efforts in CEES. He noted that he believed in negotiation and he challenged every researcher to become a negotiator so as to ensure research uptake by the policy makers. He noted that since Makerere has the capacity and the negotiation skills, it should do better. He acknowledged the contributions of other teams on RIF1 and RIF2 and announced that RIF3 had been approved. He emphasized that whereas RIF1 was UGX 30 billion, RIF2 was UGX 30 billion and COVID-19 Response UGX 9.3 billion, he had negotiated for a greater allocation of funds for RIF3 and it will be higher, if not double.
He informed participants that he was also negotiating on how Makerere University (Mak) can support other universities to do research. He cited an example of a model university in Malaysia which was leading in research and had been funded to support research and capacity building in other public universities. Furthermore, he re-echoed the need of researchers to reach out to stakeholders and different ministries to share research findings. He called upon all researchers to begin writing policy briefs. He finally set a challenge to his colleagues on the GMC to start a programme to train researchers on how to write policy briefs.
Article by John Nuwagaba, CEES
Makerere University has been selected to participate in Phase 2 of the e-Learning Initiative aimed at the development of a five-year digital pedagogy transformation roadmap (2025-2030).
This noble task championed by the College of Education and External Studies (CEES) through its expert team at the Institute of Open, Distance and e-Learning (IODeL) will shape the future of e-learning and digital education in Uganda.
In phase 2, the Mastercard Foundation commits to supporting e-Learning and digital transformation based on the needs of each institution. Makerere University’s consideration for Phase 2 follows the successful implementation of phase 1 of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program e-Learning Initiative (2021-2024), which registered remarkable achievements.
‘In a bid to consolidate the gains of phase 1 and transition into a digitally resilient and learner-centred institution, Makerere University has been selected to participate in phase 2 of the e-Learning Initiative. Led by the Mastercard Foundation in partnership with Arizona State University (ASU), phase 2 aims to support partner universities in designing and implementing a five-year digital pedagogy transformation roadmap (2025-2030),” highlighted Prof. Paul Birevu Muyinda, the Director of IODeL.
Speaking at the co-creation workshop held on 24th April 2025 at Speke Resort Munyonyo, Prof. Birevu Muyinda said: “During phase 1, Makerere University registered significant achievements in e-Learning. I am glad that you have convened here today during the e-Learning Digital Transformation workshop, to receive the dissemination results as we work together to prepare for phase 2, which focuses on the unique needs for each institution.”
Through phase 1, which aimed at enhancing the e-learning capabilities of partner institutions, Makerere University strengthened the existing Makerere University e-Learning Environment (MUELE), conducted onboarding workshops for the university leadership, trained teaching staff and students, and engaged teaching staff to develop content for online courses.
According to Prof. Birevu Muyinda, the specific achievements of phase 1 of the e-Learning initiative included the following:
- Training of 1,280 faculty members
- Development of 2,579 courses out of 2,560 representing 100.74%
- Development of four (4) support services modules
- Capacity building for over 7,000 students
- Training and recruitment of 32 e-Learning champions
- Upgrading of the Makerere University e-Learning Environment (MUELE)
- Acquisition of e-Learning infrastructure namely five (5) multi-media studios, a video streaming server and all in one printers.
The co-creation workshop for phase 2 and dissemination of results for the concluded phase 1, brought on board over 75 participants comprising members of Makerere University Management, the Principal and staff of the College of Education and External Studies, a representative from the Ministry of Education and Sports, student leaders, the media, the Directorate for ICT Support (DICTS), Mastercard Foundation, Arizona State University(ASU)-USA, and a representative sample of staff from academic and administrative units of Makerere University.
Facilitated by Arizona State University (ASU) working closely with IODeL, the interactive co-creation sessions involved taking into account the milestones from phase 1 and leveraging the successes, as well as coming up with proposed strategies for phase 2.
The co-creation workshop involved understanding the concept transformation road mapping, using a grid to identify the current state of e-Learning and digital transformation at Makerere University and the desired state, assessment alignment on shared vision for the current and the desired state, and identifying learner needs in line with the desired state, among other items.
The workshop adopted a holistic approach to digital transformation focusing on the following themes: teaching and learning, student services, instructional infrastructure, leadership and culture, and partnerships. For each cluster, the participants proposed immediate, short-term and long-term strategies with respect to digital transformation in those processes. With each group presenting during the plenary sessions, the co-creation workshop was a success. The ideas were captured instantly feeding into the proposal for the phase 2 e-learning digital transformation roadmap (2025-2030).
At this highly participatory workshop, reaching consensus was a key factor in determining the ideas that were included in the proposal.
In addition to the aforementioned clusters, some of the broader aspects that the co-creation teams highlighted should be prioritized included:
- Adoption of e-supervision of students
- Increasing enrollment of international students through e-Learning
- Reducing the digital divide among learners
- Ensuring digital inclusion with programs sensitive to learners with disabilities
- Capacity building programmes for administrative support
Opening the co-creation workshop, Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi, Ag. Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) of Makerere University, conveyed the congratulatory messages from the University Council and Management on the successful completion of phase 1 and its remarkable achievements.
On behalf of the University Management, Prof. Buyinza said, phase 2 of the e-Learning Initiative should be a revolutionary phase, igniting Makerere University to be a key player in digital education and integration of technologies.
Reflecting on youth empowerment, Prof. Buyinza highlighted that phase 2 is student-centred with e-Learning and digital pedagogies addressing the needs of learners. In addition, Prof. Buyinza underscored that this approach will increase the number of students accessing quality education programmes at Makerere University at the national and international levels.
The Ag. Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) commended the Mastercard Foundation for partnering with Makerere University to empower the young people through education and technological advancements. Prof. Buyinza acknowledged the collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation and Arizona State University (ASU) for building the capacity of faculty at Makerere University.
Emphasizing the importance of building capacity, retooling and reshaping the curriculum to produce graduates who meet the demands of the modern workforce, Prof. Buyinza re-affirmed that Makerere University is a learning institution committed to embracing new approaches. He recognized the Institute of Open, Distance and e-Learning (IODeL) for holding onboarding workshops for the University leadership, staff and students in phase 1.
Prof. Buyinza testified that the onboarding sessions changed his perception, and transformed him into a firm believer in positioning e-Learning to champion the digital transformation agenda at Makerere University. He disclosed that he is a “convert” to the transformative potential of technology integration, learner-centeredness, industry partnerships, and lifelong learning, key features of University 5.0.
He urged participants to utilize the co-creation e-Learning digital transformation workshop to define institutional needs and expectations, allowing for a more rapid and collaborative advancement into the “revolutionary” phase 2.
Building on the Prof. Buyinza’s submission, the Principal of the College of Education and External Studies, Prof. Anthony Muwagga Mugagga informed the participants that phase 2, which focuses on e-Learning and digital transformation should empower the faculty and university at large to provide inclusive education. He implored the co-creation team and stakeholders to come up with digital strategies for students who are visually impaired and those with hearing impairments.
Prof. Mugagga emphasized the importance of continuous learning and self-examination, stating that even a professor should strive to be open to new knowledge. With reference to Socrates’ philosophy, he suggested that a life devoid of learning is not worth living.
In a moving testimony, the Principal explained that he is always learning new ideas from his techy savvy son. Prof. Mugagga shared that his son continues to be instrumental in teaching him online safety principles and techniques. This experience underscored the generational gap in digital literacy and the importance of adapting to the evolving digital landscape.
The Principal expressed his hope to learn from the workshop, acknowledging that digital transformation requires everyone to be proactive in acquiring new skills.
On behalf of the students, Hon. Julius Kiganda, the Minister of Academic Affairs at Makerere University commended the organisers for including students in the e-Learning digital transformation workshop. Hon. Kiganda pledged active participation in the training to ensure that the interests of the students are effectively captured.
Evaluating phase 1, Ann Nielsen from Mastercard Foundation recognized that the institutions had built a solid foundation, prompting a transition into phase 2 to address the unique needs of each university.
“Phase 2 will prioritize scaling training and knowledge mobilization, offering opportunities for scholars to pursue learning design and technologies, graduate certificates, master’s degrees, and professional certificates tailored for individuals seeking instructional design knowledge.
“Mastercard Foundation will emphasize inclusive learning practices, collaborating with experts to ensure accessibility and equity. The Foundation aims to enhance digital infrastructure, focusing on student support systems, quality management, and data-driven decision-making in order to meet diverse learner needs,” Nielsen explained.
The Foundation revealed that the ultimate goal is to collectively impact policies across the continent, advocating for e-learning as a valid and accredited pathway to quality education. Recognizing the network’s growing maturity, the initiative aims to position participating universities as leaders and resources, fostering collaborative learning and co-creation.
The Foundation’s participation stems from a belief in the future of young Africans, seeking to equip them with education and skills to fulfill their careers by strengthening institutions and scaling innovative solutions through technology. The focus shifts from a reactive response to a sustainable and long-term initiative.
Regan Matsiko, the IT Officer at the Ministry of Education and Sports, highlighted the Ministry’s commitment to digital advancement, drawing on prior experience with the national digital transformation roadmap initiated by the Ministry of ICT. “This roadmap, built on five key pillars including digital scaling and infrastructure development, serves as a foundation for current initiatives within the education sector.”
Matsiko emphasized the Ministry of Education and Sports’ development of a digital agenda last year as demonstration of a proactive approach to integrating technology.
He commended the partnership with universities in developing e-learning programs. Matsiko noted a shift towards a more integrated structure within the Ministry, where the ICT department now includes a dedicated e-learning department working directly with university partners, demonstrating a unified push for digital transformation in education.
The voices from key stakeholders set the stage for an interactive and high participatory training session. Lara Rabala the facilitator of the training outlined the primary objectives. These included: To collaboratively envision e-learning-driven classrooms, not only for the host institution but also for external partners, aligning proposed initiatives with McKinney’s strategies and broader community programs.
She noted that a key focus will be on formulating recommendations that correspond with critical areas to drive the development of a roadmap and implementation plan.
Labala stressed that the aim is to establish a clear vision for the future, crafting a transformative roadmap and a practical implementation plan. This roadmap will serve as the foundation for a tangible proposal to attract funding and partnerships, articulating the vision and direction for key learning and behavioral transformation.
Trainees were encouraged to respect the past as the foundation for the present and future, while also imagining innovative possibilities. Trainees, regardless of their expertise, were urged to maintain curiosity, open-mindedness, and value every voice.
The co-creation sessions featured the following clusters:
- Teaching and learning: Digital strategy, pedagogical services, faculty development and staff support
- Student services: Engagement-enrollment, Administrative support and Academic Support
- Instructional Infrastructure: Connectivity, Educational technology, and Instructional design learning analysis
- Leadership and Culture: Internal stakeholders, Leadership structure, Governance models, Innovative Culture
- Partnerships: Development, Evaluation and External Stakeholders
Closing the co-creation workshop, Prof. Birevu Muyinda said: “The exercise has presented us with an understanding of the major activities to be undertaken and the key priorities.”
With the support of the Mastercard Foundation and other partners, Makerere University is focused to develop a comprehensive e-learning roadmap, driving innovation and excellence in education.
Education
University of Zululand Explores collaboration in decolonization of curriculum and teaching of Kiswahili and isiZulu languages
On 29th April 2025, a delegation from the University of Zululand, South Africa led by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Engagement and Transformation), Prof. Byron A. Brown visited the College of Education and External Studies (CEES) at Makerere University to discuss collaboration opportunities specific to decolonization of the curriculum in African universities, teaching pedagogies and re-positioning of African languages in education institutions.
The term decolonization of education is a central theme within the African Union’s agenda 2063, which envisions a united and self-reliant Africa. This agenda emphasizes the need for an education system that reflects African values, knowledge systems, and cultural identities, further supporting the ongoing push for integrating indigenous knowledge into formal education.
Underscoring the value of collaboration between Makerere University and the University of Zululand, Prof. Brown stated that both institutions will be in position to promote African values and knowledge, promote local languages and develop a socially responsive decolonized pedagogy.
It is envisaged that Makerere University’s rich history and impact on the African continent will significantly enrich the University of Zululand’s project aimed at building authentic African universities.
In the morning hours, the delegation from the University of Zululand held a strategic meeting with the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe and some members of Makerere University Management. Quoting the proceedings of the meeting, Prof. Brown was pleased to note that Makerere University has ten (10) Colleges and a significant number of Schools and Departments, which will play a central role in the collaboration.
At the core of this interaction was the language question, which is central in the decolonization agenda with several researched opinions and respected voices at the national and global levels advocating for re-positioning of local or African languages.
Consequently, at the College of Education and External Studies, the delegation interacted with staff from the Kiswahili Section under the Department of Humanities and Language Education where issues of knowledge decolonization and exchanges were central.
During the interaction, Prof. Brown highlighted that the University of Zululand is committed to the implementation of the theme that focuses on strong institutions, education and social justice.
Stating the main purpose for visiting the Kiswahili section, Dr. Bongephiwe Myeni Gladness, a Lecturer at the Department of African Languages and Culture, University of Zululand highlighted that they are interested in introducing Kiswahili as one of the African languages at the University of Zululand.
“We have some interventions such as taking Kiswahili to Zululand, working on the online teaching and internationalization program. We are promoting research in African languages. We have students that are doing research in isiZulu,” she said.
Dr. Bongephiwe reiterated that their objective is to create collaborations with African Universities. Highlighting that Kenyatta University and Moi University in Kenya were onboard, they visited Makerere University to interact with the University Management and faculty on matters pertaining to decolonization of the curriculum and academic exchange.
Building on the commitment that the delegation from the University of Zululand had received from the Vice Chancellor and the University Management, Dr. Caesar Jjingo, a Lecturer specializing in Kiswahili language pedagogies and materials development highlighted the readiness of the teaching staff to participate in the collaboration aimed at promoting the Kiswahili and isiZulu languages.
“It was an insightful engagement with the delegation in relation to pedagogy, research collaboration and language students’ exchanges purposely to advance the teaching of Kiswahili and isiZulu languages at the University of Zululand and Makerere University, respectively,” said Dr. Jjingo.
With the short term, medium and long term strategies being undertaken by the College of Education and External Studies to decolonize education in East Africa, the coming on board of the University of Zululand from South Africa expands the spectrum to the African continent.
On 9th and 10th April 2025, the College of Education and External Studies at Makerere University hosted the 3rd East African Teacher Education Symposium under the theme, “Curriculum Development and Decolonization of Education in East Africa.”
Supported by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), the Capacity Building for Research-Based Teacher Education (CABUTE) project with its partner institutions namely Makerere University, Kyambogo University, University of Bergen in Norway, Western Norway University of Life Sciences and the Uganda National Institute for Teacher Education (UNITE) played a pivotal role in making the decolonization of education a topical issue.
During the symposium, experts called for the integration of indigenous knowledge into Uganda’s education system to make learning more relevant, practical, culturally aligned with the communities.
The Keynote Speaker, Prof. Proscovia Namubiru, the Acting Vice Chancellor at UNITE highlighted that much of Africa’s indigenous knowledge was suppressed during the colonial period. She noted that the pre-colonial African knowledge in various fields-was often deemed “satanic” or primitive by missionaries and colonial leaders. This view led to the promotion of Western educational models, which largely ignored and erased the indigenous practices.
Prof. Namubiru advocated for a holistic multi-disciplinary approach that values indigenous practices alongside formal education. “Education institutions must form strong, respectful relationships with communities to ensure that indigenous knowledge is shared appropriately,” she said.
Tackling the key factor of language, Prof. Namubiru decried the practice of suppressing the local languages or African languages, and promoting the foreign languages.
She observed that even when the colonialists left, schools and universities in Uganda have continued to promote foreign languages to the detriment of African languages. She reminded the audience about the practices in different schools where learners are punished for speaking vernacular. According to Prof. Namubiru, referring to local languages as “vernacular” was aimed at making them inferior.
Acknowledging that decolonization of the curriculum should bring on board everyone, a step that involves starting with liberating the mind of each individual, Prof. Namubiru urged the participants to start with the small steps for instance stopping the punishments for speaking “Vernacular” and popularizing the usage of the local or African languages.
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