KAMPALA – The low enrollment of Uganda’s learners into institutions of higher learning has continued to raise concern among the country’s educationalists.
Prof Mary Okwakol, the Executive Director of the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) who spoke at a ceremony to mark the launch of the second phase of the Higher Education Access Program, by the Forum for African Women Educationalists Uganda and Mastercard Foundation said access to higher education in Uganda remains a big challenge.
According to a survey by the National Council for Higher Education, enrollment in Uganda’s higher education institutions dropped from 5.9% in 2020/2021 to 5.3% in 2021/2022.
The Growth Enrolment Ratio (GER) has also dropped from 6.8% over the past five years to 5.3% in 2019/20, Prof. Okwakol said.
“It is a decrease from the 2020/2021 because in 2020 2021 we will recorded 5.9%. So, it is a drop of 0.6 percent,” she said, explaining that the Ugandan ratio is far below the Sub Saharan average is 9.4% and the global average which is at 38%.
“Accessibility to higher education remains a big challenge particularly for students from rural Uganda,” she said but she is optimistic that Higher Education Access Program by the FAWE Uganda and Mastercard Foundation will provide an opportunity for more A-Level graduates to join higher education in Uganda.
Ray of hope
On Friday, April 12, FAWE announced a new seven-year extension of its partnership with the Mastercard Foundation to build on the success of its decade-long mission to elevate young women and men in Africa.
The new phase of the program is aimed at elevating young people across 10 countries in Africa.
FAWE Uganda has been implementing the program’s first phase in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation since 2017.
In Phase I Uganda recruited 334 (208 young women and 126 young men) program participants, of which 271 have completed and graduated from the program.
225 program participants have secured formal and informal employment. Following the successful implementation of the program, dubbed the Higher Education Access Program (HEAP) in Uganda, and the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program in Ethiopia and Rwanda, the extension of the partnership between FAWE and the Foundation includes 10 countries: Ethiopia, Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Senegal, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
“FAWE is delighted to once again have an opportunity to partner with the Mastercard Foundation on this exciting and fulfilling journey. We hope that we will effectively change the life trajectories of young women and men in Uganda and ultimately our great continent,” said Dr. Martha Muhwezi, Executive Director, FAWE Africa.
FAWE, through its national chapters, will implement several key programs to enhance education access for marginalized communities, with a focus on young women, individuals with disabilities, and refugees.
Among the initiatives planned for Phase II are the design and adaptation of the bridging program in seven additional chapters, alongside scaling up in Uganda.
Comprehensive academic bursaries will also be provided for Bridging and TVET participants, while institutional strengthening will be undertaken for the FAWE network and its implementing partners.
Additionally, there will be efforts to contextualize and adapt the Extended Orientation Program, as well as provide entrepreneurship support to program participants.
FAWE will work in close collaboration with the Foundation’s partners, specifically CAMFED, Light for the World, Mastercard Foundation Leaders in Teaching, and World University Service Canada (WUSC) to complement each other’s work for a greater impact toward the Foundation’s mission.
The target participants will be the most marginalized young women and men, including those with disabilities and from refugee communities, aged 15 to 25, who have completed secondary education.
The selected participants will be supported to transition into tertiary education and later entrepreneurship (self-employment) and/or employment.
FAWE’s overall approach will be innovation to create pathways for increasing access to tertiary education, skilling and dignified work for young female and male graduates of secondary education in Africa.
FAWE Uganda aims to support 1800 students through the bursary program, Higher Education Access Certificate, and TVET
Additional interventions include the Extended Orientation Program, Gender Responsive Pedagogy Training, Mentorship, Entrepreneurship support.
