More than ever before in human history, we share a common destiny. We can master it only if we face it together." Kofi Annan, former United Nations Secretary General
Uganda
Uganda is situated in East Africa and is about the size of Oregon. Independence from the British was granted on October 9, 1962, and officially the loose kingdoms, tribal clans and other indigenous social arrangements were collectively named the Republic of Uganda. There are approximately 33 tribes post-independence, making it a country of contrasting cultures. Each tribe has its own dialect, cultural norms and ethnic food preferences. There are also a lot of cultural and societal aspects inter-tribe that are similar.
The Education System
The system was inherited from the British in 1962. The class system is a 7 - 4 – 2 which translates into 7 years in elementary (primary) school, 4 years in middle (secondary) school and 2 years in high school. There are 3 academic terms in Uganda that follow the conventional January to December calendar. First Term (February to May), Second Term (end of May to August) and Third Term (September to the beginning of December). In between the terms the children are on vacation with the longest vacation coming at the end of the calendar year. About 70% of Uganda is rural. Education until 1997 was only for those privileged who could afford to pay the mandatory school fees, and buy the school uniform and school supplies. This meant that those in rural areas in which people live in poverty (less than a $1 a day) were excluded from the education system. However, in 1997, Uganda introduced Universal Primary Education (UPE) which entitled every child aged 7 to go to school. The influx of children into the schools was not unforeseen; it was simply not properly planned for. As a result many families started to consider the opportunity cost of remaining in a school where the child was learning next to nothing, against the benefit of having the child stay at home and help on the farm. UPE has still not met any standards that are decent. The recent (March 2008) introduction of ‘automatic promotion’-- advancing to the next level regardless of performance--was a bid by the government of Uganda to rescue funding from donors who threatened to discontinue funding Universal Primary Education (UPE).
