By Ahmed Kateregga Musaazi
In Greater Masaka, there were two strong vocational institutes that
used to take many P.7. and S.4. leaders in the seventies and eighties.
Those were Ssese Farm Institute and Uganda Technical College
Masaka.
Some of our OBs and OGs we completed P.7. with in early eighties, went
straight to either of the two institutes, and by the time we sat for
O-level in mid eighties, they were already farm managers in
Ankole-Masaka Ranching Scheme or have started their own carpentry and
joinery workshops.
Then, there were those that joined either of the institutes after
O-level, and by time, we completed A-level, they were already job
makers and not job seekers.
However, as the desire for university degrees grew so much, vocational
education was in one way or another neglected and the Sesse Farm
Institute, which, at its peak, was managed by the late Mutebi Kityo
who later became one of the best farmers in Uganda, Chairperson of
Uganda National Farmers Federation , Mpigi District Secretary for
Education and Mass Mobilization and Mawokota South Member of
Parliament, declined too, and was n longer very appealing.
Yet, it had produced good sons of the soils like, Brig. Elly Kayanja, now working with Operation Wealth Creation under Gen. Salim Saleh.
Masaka District Farm Institute at Kamenyamiggo now in Lwengo District,
which was good at research and refreshing farmers, had also declined
too and by the time l visited the place with now Senior Presidential
Advisor Al Haji Abdul Nadduli and now Butambala District Woman MP
Hajjati Aishah Nalule Kabanda, as we were soliciting for votes for the NRM MP
Ambassador Alintuma Nsambu eight years ago, its land had been
encroached at.
Yet many of the seeds that were used by farmers in Greater Masaka like
maize, were from Kawanda and beans from Kamenyamaggo and were known
by those names which had made them brands.
The Uganda Technical College which was built by the Kingdom of Buganda before the abolition of kingdoms in1966, was vandalized in 1979 war and was turned into a UNLA barracks in fearing Kasijjagirwa barracks which was land mined until the mines were detonated.
When it was repossessed by the Kingdom of Uganda, it turned it into
Muteesa l Royal University.
However in last graduation, the Katikkiro
of Buganda Charles Peter Mayiga called upon those in charge to ensure
that it offers practical courses especially agriculture since Masaka and Buganda generally is an agricultural region.
The Katikkiro was right because according to the framers for
of the new cities, Masaka is an agricultural city, compared to Fort Portral which is for tourism or Hoima which is an oil
city.
The former Pokino (Saza Chief) of Buddu, Mr. Mayiga had also called
for including of bark cloth making (okukomaga|) as one of its courses
, he also wanted the bark cloth makers (abakomazi) to have their own
specification under Myoga funds based at constituencies.
On Saturday November 13th, l was one of the guests at the closing ceremony of an induction workshop for secondary school head teachers from Masaka City,
Masaka District, and Kalungu,
Bukomansimbi, Lwengo and Kalangala districts at St. Henry’s College
Kitovu , in the new lower secondary curriculum facilitated by National
Curriculum Development Center. The chief guest was a Senior/Special
Presidential Advisor/Assistant, on Greater Masaka, M/s Justine
Nameere.
On my part, l was grateful to government for changing the curriculum
so that it becomes more practical and it produces job makers other
than job seekers. I recalled golden years of Sesse Farm Institute and
Masaka District Farm Institute at Kamenyamiggo and called upon the
present generation to utilize them more.
I was not happy with the way we seek unskilled jobs in Middle East and
hope that if we start to export skilled labor, then the benefits will
multiply. This will only be possible if our lower education at
primary and secondary levels is as practical as possible.
l was happy with missionaries to have built schools where we have
been beneficiaries, myself a student of Nnambiriizi Primary School
UMEA, Ssembabule Primary School Church of Uganda, Ssembabule P.7.
School R/C and St.Victor’SSS Kitaasa in Bukomansimbi.
With now the rapidly changing world, the colonial and post colonial curriculum can not fit in especially in this Information / Communication Technology society.
I cautioned headteachers of both government aided and private schools, to seek to guidelines of Ministry of Education and don’t hike school fees.
I told them to observe SOPs, go for vaccination if they are not vaccinated yet, and mobilise their staff, students and parents for the same.
I said that HIV-AIDS scouge kills and should not be ignored in this Covid-19 pandemic.
Unlike Malaria which has cure, and Covid-19 which has a vaccine, HIV-AIDS only has ARVs.
Masaka city is ranked 3rd, Kalangala first and Kalungu 3rd. Let them stick to ABC (Abstetainance, Be faithful to your partner and use a Condom).
On her part, Nameere warned them against sexual harassment of girl students, whom she said that have now grown big due t a long holiday and good feeding at home.
She talked about government programs including a Parish Development Model that requires two elders at every parish committee, whom she recommended that they should be teachers because they are good role models.
She was grateful to the President for giving private teachers 20 billion shillings to recover from the lockdown and assured them that they will be delivered.
She said that Bank of Uganda had already halted auctioning of private schools for failing to pay bank loans during the lockdown.
She assured arts teachers that she will lobby for a salary increment since that of science teachers has been increased.
Therefore, let us walk the talk by overhauling Ssesse Farm Institute so that it produces successful agriculturalists both crop and animal husbandry, fisheries, and game/tourism and wildlife. Aluta continua.
Haji Ahmed Kateregga Musaazi is a veteran journalist and Deputy City Resident Commissioner Masaka City.
Contact 256-756/772-836537
Email: hajiahmedkateregga2016@gmail.com
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