Writer: Hugues Chantry. PHOTO/FILE/COURTESY
During my last summer holidays in Belgium, I attended a very emotional meeting of my classmates from 1984 to 1985. Forty years after my grade 13, it was a pleasure to see them again, even if our bellies had expanded and our hairs had turned grey. But the touching part of our get-together was our reunion with former teachers. We owe them so much as their teaching and direction have had a lasting impact. This is true for all teachers in the world.
World Teachers'´ Day was celebrated last Saturday. This year’s theme, "Valuing teacher voices: Towards a new social contract for education," highlights the urgent need to incorporate educators' perspectives into educational policy and decision-making.
On behalf of the European Union (EU) and its member states, I extend a well-deserved appreciation to educators whose dedication and passion inspire and contribute significantly to societal progress.Uganda experiences the third-fastest population growth in the world and 73 percent of Ugandans are under the age of 30.
Providing this youthful population with a proper and qualitative education is thus not merely important; but imperative. For years, the EU has been a steady partner of Uganda's education sector and among its member states, Belgium, through its Belgian Development Agency Enabel, is currently implementing a five-year programme that addresses educational needs through two key initiatives: the “WeLearn” project, aimed at enhancing equitable learning opportunities and better-preparing youth for the workforce, and the “WeTrain4Health” project, focusing on improving the education quality and management practices in health training institutions.Uganda and other EU member states have aligned their strategies with the United Nations Agenda 2030, particularly with the Sustainable Development Goal 4, which emphasises inclusive and equitable quality education for all.
Education is a critical driver of development and countless studies have shown that each additional year of schooling can increase an individual's income by up to 10 percent.However, despite Uganda’s past commendable strides in education, only a concerning 8 percent of its national budget is still allocated to this sector. This, of course, has consequences. For instance, the low level of capitation grants – for instance, Shs165 000 per student per term in lower secondary education - puts schools under financial pressure.
Schools have then no alternative but to ask parents to contribute to their children’s education. Unfortunately, many are unable to bear an extra burden. The Uganda National Survey Report of 2019/2020 has revealed that 62.1 percent of school dropouts occur due to unaffordable education costs. Lack of a sufficient budget also creates critical staffing gaps in most schools. The teacher-pupil ratio in Uganda is currently 1:65, significantly exceeding the internationally recommended benchmark of 40 students/pupils per teacher. This shortage of teachers not only hinders the learning experience of children; it also demotivates teachers who would like to spend more time with every learner. Increased financing for UPE and USE could alleviate the financial burden on parents, reduce school dropouts, allow the hiring of more teachers and improve the quality of education.But money is not everything.
As we celebrate World Teachers’ Day, it is also vital that we advocate for their voices to be integral in shaping educational policies. Ensuring that educators are heard in discussions about resource allocation, curriculum development and teacher training can contribute to shaping a new social contract for education — one that values and empowers teachers, thereby enhancing the quality of education for all students.
HE Chantry is the ambassador of Belgium.
