Investing in human capital development is one of the key priorities that are well referenced under the Government of Uganda’s long-term development planning.
Besides health services, human capital development relates to the education and skilling of Uganda’s young people, something the recently released final census report equally makes reference to.
The report makes reference to early childhood development (ECD), to which all children aged 3-5 years are entitled; primary education for those aged 6-12, secondary education for those aged 13-18, and tertiary/postsecondary education, which all Ugandans aged 19-24 are expected to undergo.
Conducted in May 2024, the census enumeration exercise revealed that of the more than 6.5 million Ugandan children (3-5 years) who are entitled and are supposed to be enrolled in ECD centers (aka nursery schools), only 42% were doing it. This leaves out 6 in every 10 such children.
And 75% of those supposed to be in primary were actually enrolled, leaving out three (3) in every 10. Of those supposed to be in secondary, 62% were, implying that 4 in every 10 were being left out.
When it comes to those (19-24 years) supposed to be in tertiary or post-secondary institutions, only 18% were enrolled, leaving 8 in every 10 of those who are eligible.
Led by Dr. Albert Byamugisha and Dr. Chris Mukiza, the census report authors make many observations on this state of affairs and recommend that ECD is too important for the formative years of a child for the same to continue being left to the private sector. The report recommends that the government become deliberate about getting more involved in the provision of ECD training services.
That this is the only way to increase opportunity for those millions of children to excel at the subsequent levels of education and generally in life. It’s observed that the private sector has done its best but should be supplemented by deliberately increasing public investments in ECD.
THE UNEMPLOYMENT CRISIS:
The census report also advises that the government take note of the fact that two in every 10 persons aged 10 years and more have no formal education. That this is an alarming situation as it creates “a large pool of illiterate and unemployable population.”
That to cure this anomalous situation referenced above, the government should “prioritize investing in informal and modular skills-based training programs” in order to produce “a productive and skilled population.”
That the government should also strengthen programs like U.S.E by adequately investing in secondary education infrastructure besides mobilizing the population to ensure that more Ugandans (aged 13-18) enroll in secondary schools because the current enrollment of only 33% of those who are eligible being enrolled is simply too low and unacceptable.
