Gov’t develops qualifications framework to ease migration of labour, training abroad

The government, through the Ministry of Education and Sports, has embarked on developing the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) for Uganda, to facilitate the development, classification and recognition of knowledge, skills and other competences along the continuum of agreed levels.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of a nine-member committee that will spearhead the development of the framework held in Kampala Tuesday, the ministry's Permanent Secretary, Ms Ketty Lamaro said the new framework would integrate all the sub-frameworks and facilitate access to, mobility and progression of individuals within education, training and the world of work, at national and international levels.
 
 She said the qualifications framework is an instrument that indicates the comparability of different qualifications and how one can progress from one level to another within the education sector and the world of work.
 
Ms Lamaro noted that the new development would save Uganda from the challenges it has been facing, due to lack of such a framework, including difficulty in securing jobs or continuing with studies outside Uganda.
 
"Our education system lacks an instrument that describes qualifications and this has been a disadvantage to us at various levels, especially during the rating of qualifications," she said.
 ”In the East African region, we seem to be lagging behind other countries like Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania. Migration of labour is greatly affected and so is the continuity of education and training in foreign countries," she added.

According to her, the new framework will be developed within 30 months.
 Dr Jane Egau  Okou, Director for Higher Technical, Vocational Education and Training at the Ministry of Education who doubles as the chairperson of the committee said that whereas it has been easy for Uganda  to match and harmonize qualifications at tertiary level, it has been hard to do the same at lower levels.

 "When you are in primary seven and you decide to continue with your studies in Kenya for example, you may not know where to start from but with the presence of a national qualifications' framework, competences required for one to join a given level of education will be agreed upon by all countries," she said.
Dr Egau said the committee that has been tasked to develop the framework would commence work next week and will start with developing a roadmap for undertaking the task given to them and consult widely.

 “This is a big thing. It affects all sectors of government because it is the entire human resource of the country and that is why we are subjecting it to consultations across all government entities," she said.

 Other members of the committee include; Dr Cyrus Ssera Ssebunya from the National Council for Higher Education (Deputy, Prof Proscovia Namubiru from Uganda Management Institute, Dr Wilfred Nahamya, Uganda Business and Technical Examinations Board, Mr James Turyatemba, Uganda National Examinations Board, Mr Brighton Barugahare, Commissioner Education Policy Analysis and Research, Mr Mathias Mulumba Mutema, National Curriculum Development Centre, Mr Patrice Ssembirige from NCDC and Mr Joseph Kikomeko, Commissioner TVET Trainers Training, Research and innovation.