KAMPALA – Belgium through its Ambassador in Uganda Mr. Hugo Verbist has pledged support towards the country’s education in partnership with Her Excellency First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports Janet Museveni.
Mr. Hugo who was accompanied by Deputy Head of Mission and Head of Cooperation Mr. Erwin De Wandel said Belgium, through its direct bilateral cooperation program implemented by Enabel in Uganda, is active in two key areas of the education sector, secondary teacher training on the one hand and technical and vocational training (TVET) on the other.
He said Belgium supports the cooperation between universities and scholarships, and recently a new actor in Uganda, VVOB vzw education for development, came on board to complete the Belgian landscape in the sector.
The Ambassador took the opportunity to make a case for more adequate budget allocations for social sectors including education to support human capital development, making growth in Uganda more inclusive and generate jobs to keep up with Uganda’s growing and young population.
With regard to teacher training, the Ambassador reiterated the urgent need to review the curriculum to ensure the quality of education outcomes adapted to new market requirements.
On TVET, the Ambassador commended the Government of Uganda for its newly adopted TVET policy and is looking forward to its implementation. He emphasized the need of a robust partnership between private and public sector to enable training and a diversified spectrum of skilling opportunities that respond to the job market demand.
The Ambassador finally pointed out the importance Belgium attaches to the swift rollout of the National Sexuality Education Framework to empower young people to make healthy and safe choices in life.
H.E. First Lady thanked Belgium for its continuous support, the reliable partnership and relevant dialogue and cooperation in the sector. She added that the Ambassador will always be welcome, being a friend of Uganda forever.
