Photo credit: Education Uganda

Members of Parliament under the Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Food Security, Population and Development have called for restructuring of the education system to enable youth have enterprising skills. Speaking to journalists ahead of the world population day slated for 11th July the MPs said that the current system has gaps and these gaps should be dealt with accordingly.

They said that the current system creates more job seekers than job makers and therefore there is a need to integrate vocational training into secondary schools. The publicity secretary of the forum Mathias Kasamba said that all school going children should be given an opportunity to have hands on training such that when they leave school at any level they are able to do something. He said that government should ensure that all schools introduce at least 3 craft courses as a way of empowering students.

The Member of Parliament for Kigulu south Milton Muwuma also called on government expand the Social Assistance Grants for Empowerment (SAGE) programme to all the elders across the country. Muwuma said that the program is only supported by the donors and it is in a few districts thus calling upon government to ensure that all districts are covered. He noted that depending on donors leaves the program in balance yet it is a helpful program.

Under SAGE, government pays elderly people in selected districts Shs 25,000 per month. The programme, introduced in 2012, is supported by DFID and is being implemented in 14 districts.