Christopher B. Mugimu

Higher Education in Uganda: The Role of Community Colleges in Educational Delivery and Reform

Uganda is a landlocked country in Eastern Africa with a total population in 2006 of 29.9 million and one of the highest annual population growth rates in the world at 3.2% (World Bank, 2008). Over 80% of Ugandans derive their livelihood from the agricultural sector. Uganda has obtained recent milestones in its national education development, including universal primary education, and in 2007, universal secondary education. Expansion is beginning to trickle into the higher education sub-sector and the future expansion of higher education institutions (HEIs) at all levels will be required to meet the growing demands. Many factors have made higher education expansion in Uganda possible, including improved security, especially in the Northern Region, restoration of macroeconomic stability, removal of economic distortions, and an improvement in terms of trade (MOFPED, 2006). There are hundreds of colleges in Uganda that make up a major part of the human resource development in all regions of the country. Community colleges range in size from private colleges with nothing more than one or two rented classrooms in an office building to HEIs that comprise large campuses with thousands of enrolled students. In this chapter, we will discuss the historical development of higher education with a specific focus on community colleges. Sections include an in-depth analysis of the types of Ugandan HEIs, unique features of Ugandan community colleges, case studies of example community colleges, and current and future trends in Ugandan higher education and community colleges. Musisi (2003) identifies four phases in the historical development of Ugandan higher education. Prior to the first phase, which began in the 1920s, schools were predominantly owned and operated by Christian missionaries. During the 1920s, the British government assumed direct responsibility and Makerere University was founded in 1922 as a technical college to serve students from the British East African territories of Kenya, Tanganyika, and Uganda. Following the Asquith Report in 1949, the college obtained a semiautonomous status and was affiliated to London University. Human resource development entitled the “Africanization of the Civil Service Structure” was the primary focus of the second phase in which significant higher education developments occurred, including granting of London degrees to students of Makerere College (1953) and later the establishment of the Royal Technical College in Nairobi (1956). In 1961, the establishment of the University College of Dar es Salaam ended Makereres predominance as the soul higher education provider in this region.

The development and role of trust in educational leadership: A comparative study of U.S. and Ugandan school administrators

The development and role of trust in school performance has been built primarily on educational research in the United States. The problem is that the resulting theory of trust may not accurately reflect the development and role of trust in schools in other global contexts. Researchers broadly agree that the implications of trust dynamics filter into every segment of the schools organization. However, trust is often either oversimplified or made to seem overly complex, whereas reality is likely somewhere in the middle and depends largely on specific national and regional circumstances. The resulting problem for school administrators globally is a lack of role clarity regarding their leadership responsibilities related to trust and school performance.

Fortifying Leisure Adolescent Perspectives of Family Leisure in Uganda

This study examined family leisure patterns and meanings of family leisure from the perspective of adolescents living in the Mukono District of Uganda. Sixty-eight secondary students were interviewed. Results indicate Ugandan adolescent definitions of leisure reflect leisure as free time and leisure as a means to an end. Students mentioned three primary family leisure outcomes (enjoyment/fun, personal development, and family development) that point toward a core theme. Fortifying describes the importance Ugandan youth place upon family leisure outcomes that strengthen the individual to overcome inevitable challenges they will face throughout their lives and enable them to succeed, especially through family socializing activities, such as discussion and storytelling.

Leisure defined by perceiving choice: perspectives of Ugandan women

ABSTRACT The purpose of this phenomenological study was to expand the predominantly ethnocentric definitions of leisure by exploring the meaning of leisure among women in the developing East African nation of Uganda. Semi-structured interviews were used to understand the perspectives of 38 Ugandan women, and main themes were developed from the data using the constant comparative method. Our analysis revealed the core variable of perceiving choice emerging from themes including fortifying, restoring, and enjoying. Ugandan women used leisure to enhance their sense of identity, improve their health, build relationships and network, enhance their professional skills, strengthen family and community, refresh from daily work, and enjoy life. While leisure was often co-occurring with emotional and physical labour, women considered activities to be leisure when they perceived participation was freely chosen. The findings challenge the dichotomous relationship between work and leisure.

The School-Based Family: Teachers as Parental Figures for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Ugandan Schools

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine the possible formation of surrogate families within Ugandan schools, especially among orphans who lack positive development opportunities typically provided by parents. This qualitative study sample of 66 Ugandan secondary school students were selected from eight schools in the Mukono district of Uganda. Findings suggest a potentially widespread family formation pattern between students and their teachers. More than 75% of students interviewed self-identified their teacher as family. Some teachers were able to offer orphans and vulnerable children positive developmental assets and were, therefore, identified as family.

Headteacher Visibility and Perceptions of Head-Teacher Trustworthiness: Perspectives of Ugandan Secondary Teachers

This chapter focused primarily on how Ugandan headteachers (school-level leaders in Uganda) build cultures of trust with teachers at their schools. In particular, the authors examined how different types of Ugandan headteacher visibility influenced teachers’ perceptions of their interpersonal trustworthiness. The authors hoped that the understanding gleaned from this study will not only help Ugandan headteachers in their trust-building efforts, but also assist school leaders in other geographical contexts.

Technology and education: ICT in Ugandan secondary schools

Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) could, if adopted and implemented appropriately, support learning and teaching in developing countries to provide young people with skills they need to participate effectively in the global economy. However, a significant digital divide still persists between developed and developing countries in terms of both physical resources and the capabilities of teachers to effectively utilize limited ICT resources. A very real challenge for schools is to acquire and effectively utilize ICT given the reality of an environment of scarce and limited resources. This study examines ICT infrastructure and use in 11 secondary schools in Mukono, Uganda using qualitative case study methods including an ICT infrastructure assessment, observations, and interviews. Stratified random sampling was used to identify 7 schools initially; 4 additional schools were also purposefully sampled based on their high levels of ICT. Findings indicate that despite limited resources, schools are investing heavily into ICT. Researchers found that teacher ICT usage at school could be grouped into three categories: administrative (86%), entertainment (45%) and pedagogical (45%). Administrators at some schools reported using ICT primarily to attract students and increase revenue. Implications of this study will assist school administrators to make informed decisions concerning further investment in ICT, efficient use of limited technology resources, and improvement of educational opportunities for students.