Meeting the Challenges of Technical/Vocational Education

Abstract

The Republic of Uganda is a landlocked country situated in the eastern part of Africa. The countries of Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, and Sudan surround its borders. It covers an area of approximately 240 square km and has a population of about 25 million people, 51% of which are below the age of fifteen years (Uganda Bureau of Statistics, 2002). Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy, employing 82% of the work force. Industry employs only 5%, and the service sector occupies 13% of the total workforce (1999 statistics World Fact book). Total labor force is estimated at about 9 million of which 86% are found in rural areas, and of which 35% are not economically active. The country's literacy level rose from 35% in 1995 to 65% in 2001 mainly as a result of the Universal Primary Education (UPE) program that saw primary school enrolment rise from 2.3 million to 6.8 million in that period. The increase in primary school enrolment is of great concern to the policy makers and it poses great challenges in terms of access to the post primary education, which includes broad areas of technical/vocational education. This article describes the system of technical/vocational education in Uganda, points out the challenges facing this sub-sector of education in the country, and analyzes the strategies to address the challenges.