ugnet_: New Vision: Makerere is a Mess -get rid of the dead wood in the admin!

Thu, 15 Jan 2004 10:17:37 -0800

.....she will have to do an examination whose lecture she has never attended...

Some possibilities

  • Introduce 2 one-month  intensive sessions during the holidays, June  to September.  That could create two short semesters similar to Summer School in the US.   I have  had students take the intensive second semester Organic Chemistry in one month.   All those reactions and mechanisms is suicide but they do it!
  • Offer off-campus courses at  high schools at night.
  • Start on-line courses

FN   Lugemwa

Clashing lectures normal at Makerere

EAGER TO PAY: Makerere University private students brave the sun and the long queue to pay their tuition fees

--It is a hopeless situation especially in the faculty of Social Sciences where numbers are high
Makerere University remains an icon in Uganda. However, high enrolment, a weak administration and poorly done timetables are wreaking havoc at the 82-year-old university reports Fortunate Ahimbisibwe
As Namujju wakes up on a sunny Tuesday morning, she is not sure which of the two coinciding lecturers to attend.
But after a few minutes of contemplation, she chooses to go for the one that is less congested.
After all the lecture room is crowded, I will go for the one which is taken by less students, she says.
So as she prepares to sit her examination in two weeks time, she will have to do an examination whose lecture she has never attended, not because she is the type that cuts lectures but because either way, she has to miss one of the two.
Namujju has to rely on her friend in the other congested lecture room for notes. Similarly, her friend, Martha will rely on hers.
Alternatively, she will have to switch at the end of one hour. In the middle of the hour, I may choose to go and attend the other lecture in the remaining one hour, Namujju says.
Although it is unacceptable under the universitys regulations to miss lectures, it has now become acceptable because of the prevailing circumstances; the ever-increasing number of students.
With 22,650 private students, it has become very difficult for the university to operate without numerous obstacles. The planning department is currently reviewing the whole system which largely needs overhauling, says an official of the universitys planning department.
Namujju and hundreds of other students at Makerere have become victims of the universitys growth and expansion.
They have to miss a lecture at the expense of another. This is because of the crash programme that the university operates as the issue of overwhelming numbers soars at the countrys leading 82-year-old university.
In the Faculty of Social Sciences, which has over 4,000 students, its very difficult to make a timetable for all the subjects offered, according to reliable sources.
There is normally a big problem because students go through a dilemma of having two lectures at the same time. At times, there is nothing we can do about it, says an official in the faculty who chose anonymity.
If I reveal my name, I will be in trouble, because this issue has become a big challenge, he says. But he insists that this only happens on elective subjects not the majors.
He adds: In cases where it is possible, we advise the students to leave out certain subjects if they cant afford to keep switching or depending on friends for notes.
A student, however, says: On Thursdays, I have Gender and Philosophy at the same time for two hours. One hour I go to the Department of Gender and the other hour I rush to JICA Building. Its an inconvenience.
Elisha Obela, Deputy Academic Registrar, Admissions, agrees that the universitys expansion, particularly the increase in student number has been noted with concern.
It is true that the number of students has increased and continues to grow. As a university, we are examining our policies. All this is in an effort address what may be our undoing, he says.
With enrolment at 30,000, the university is finding it difficult to cope.
Obela says: The university has a lot of demand. We cannot lock out Ugandans. We would rather stretch ourselves but give more opportunities to more people.
However, another university official says guardedly: It is almost a hopeless situation. We are facing a very big challenge. If the numbers continue to increase at this rate, there is going to be a big problem that can even compromise a certain standard.
According to the statistics of the undergraduate students released recently, enrolment has been rapidly increasing since 1991/92 w hen the private scheme was introduced.
In 1998/99, 10,219 students were admitted, 1999/2000, 14,316, 2000/01 13, 293, 2001/02 15,8000. Enrolment now stands at 30,226 of whom 22,650 are private.
Despite this, Makerere still remains the first choice for many students and their parents.
Namujju and others will therefore try to muddle through the situation.
If some students are ready and have the money to pay, the university cannot stop them, after all we need the money to finance our projects, a university official argues.
So is it a genuine effort to offer Ugandans more opportunities to study or a money making scheme?
Ends

New Vision: Monday, 12th January, 2004

 

even exams clash at Makerere!

CHANCELLOR: Prof Nsibambi

SIR  I am disturbed to learn that the idea of admitting undergraduates to Ugandas public universities by quota system is still alive and well. politicising our education system will have a deadly backlash effect for posterity but we will not be around.

The rationale for the system is that some regions are disadvantaged and therefore the quota system is meant to redress the anomaly. But this anomaly should be addressed at the source of the problem and not in our public universities.

If attempts are made to correct the anomaly in the universities, the nightmare which afflicts the disadvantaged regions will be transported there instead.

Therefore what needs to be done is doing a thorough situation analysis instead of treating symptoms. Why is it that year in year out the same schools come out best?

That problem cannot be blamed on the universities affected because it is being engineered by politicians who are mixing up issues. But I am extrem ely unhappy with Makerere Universitys unprofessional and irrational behaviour.

The place is indeed becoming an ivory tower in its literal sense. All of Makereres concerns seem to be focused on nothing but money. Since private tuition started at the university, commercial interests have taken centre stage to the exclusion of any other consideration.

The story in yesterdays Education Vision entitled Clashing lectures normal at Makerere mentions some of the gross anomalies there.

But that is not the whole story. The clashing of lectures is ridiculous enough but it does not stop there. Even examinations clash!! As I write there are students who must do examinations which they missed, out of no fault of their own but because of clashing examinations. That is totally unacceptable.

Makerere must externally be supervised if they cant put their act together. Missing an examination because of the universitys incompetence is a grave matter and says a lot about the administration of examinations and other academic matters. I assume the administrators at Makerere have sons, daughters and other relatives studying there.

When a student misses an examination it means interfering with current examinations and being overloaded, losing money and suffering psychological stress.

The retake is also reflected on the students academic transcript without any explanation as to how it came about. In a competitive job market that is enough excuse to eliminate a job seeker. Sometime back some Seventh Day Adventist students sued Makerere University for conducting examinations on Saturday but that was a silly suit and Makerere won hands down.

Now, I want to hear how Makerere can wriggle out of the clashing examinations circus if a student who knows his or her rights one day should decide to sue them. The Ministry of Education should take up this matter very seriously. What image does Makerere think it is projecting?

Jane Kereere
Kampala

New Vision: Tuesday, 13th January, 2004

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