Caleb, You couldn't have put it any better! When this debate about the public U started sometime last year we brought out examples of universities in Canada that are spread across the country for social, political and economic reasons. For example, the tiny Cape Breton Island off the coast of the province of Nova Scotia had a university established even though all the Islanders wanted nothing to do with university besides coal mining. Generation after generation went into the coal mining business when they turned 15 years of age!
Yet, only fours hours away by car or 30 minutes by Jumbo jet lies five universities in the Halifax region which is the capital of Nova Scotia. Today, the Islands thank the govt for establishing the univerisity because the coal industry collapsed and coal mines closed (Up untiI two years ago, I was the program officer responsible for the Gov't corporation closing and selling out the mining equipment)! Not far away from Halifax, University of Moncton in the province of New Brusnwick was created because the French speaking population of less than 70,000 were facing extinction as their children had to travel out of the region to go to university. Guess what, they never returned after their university education. The purpose of the university was two fold: to ensure that the french speaking population stays within their own community and thus preserving their culture, and secondly so that the outsiders can also come and bring their knowledge, ideas etc and share it with the population. Isn't this the same fate that has befallen us west nilers? After A level, we are off to Kampala and other parts of Uganda, get our degrees, get employed in Kampala, get married to a non-west niler etc etc.. AND COME BACK TO WEST NILE when our useful years are behind us or IN COFFINS? Don't forget that each time an Alur, madi, lugbara and Kakwa goes to Kampala for university, they rarely pass their language to their mixed offspring becauce the educated and working ones are snatched by eager non-west nile ladies and men??? Yes, initially west nile university will get a lot of other ugandans as professors, students and technical staff but overtims, these people will get used to teh place, learn lugbara, Kakwa, Madi and Alur, marry locally and yes, that is a good thing. It is not always west nilers who must travel and spend their hard earned shilings in Kampala. The Uganda High Commissioner in Canada who hails from the Acholi sub region is constantly encouraging us to take our holidays to go teach in Gulu University. He is very proud to say that and as someone mentioned earlier, Gulu university was created when all the Acholi needed was peace! Your reference to Zachary Lomo brings back memories and tears in my eyes. It was almost 27 years ago when Zachary Lomo presented himself as a young boy to build his own School, the Lutaaya senior secondary school for Ugandan refugees. God bless Zachary and above all, God bless you Tom Andima from Terego wherever you are and for John Avudria who helped from time to time whenever he was away from taking care of the refugees in the t ransit station in Kimba (around teh Uganda/Sudan border)! It was Tom Andima who operationalized what was a mere discussion among us (Bornfree Adile, Ferdinand Lali Vuchiri, Godswish Male Ayume, George Nyikabe Onzima, John Avudria, Emmanuel Agala, Atima Ayub and our benefector, Dr. Barbara Harrrell-Bond). We were all refugees who had been interrupted from our various secondary schools in Uganda but were now languishing in the Yei River District of Southern Sudan. Dr. Barbara brought us together to assist in her research on Uganda refugees in the Southern Sudan. After challenging us to do something for ourselves since "our elders" were in her own words "useless", we decided to take the bull by the horn and conceived teh idea of the self-help secondary school. Our elders where in fact traumatised by the refugee experience for they had never lived through any thing like this before. The Yei diocese donated the land. I can still vividly remember Zachary under the tall grass clearing, clearing it for brick laying! Zachary bravo! I have highlighted Zachary but all of us have stories to tell. There are many Zacharys out of the children who are studying under trees right now in west nile. The smart ones will work hard regardless of the poor conditions! We have to learn to compromise and I think that is why the west is very successful. West nile university can start with teaching certificate courses.there are many west nilers who have progressed from grade 2 teachers to Masters degree holders. A public West Nile university will allow many others to upgrade their education. A west Nile university will encourage many children to work hard at university. Afterall, we were robbed of a government university when the Obote govt moved the Isalmic University to Mbale, weren't we? I hope I have not offended any body. Charles On Wed, Feb 10, 2010 at 2:19 AM, Caleb Alaka <[email protected]> wrote: > Dear Vasco, > > I read your submission on the issue of establishing a Public University > with interest. I beg with respect to disagree with you on the issue of > diverting any money for establishing a Public University because such funds > should go to improving performance of schools at Primary and Secondary > Level. Lets forget the issue of our Students not qualifying to be admitted > to this University. Lets look at the Forest other than the tree. I mean > shifting the paradim and reasoning out of the box. Do you Know how many > qualified academics we have who could have got employed in this University?, > Do you Know how much funding for research the different faculties would > attract, Do you Know that this research would have an Impact on West Nile, > Do you Know how many people benefit from short courses tailored to meet > specific demands ? Do you Know that People leave West Nile Every Friday for > Kampala to study Week end Courses in MUBS, MUK, UCU, IUIU? and do you how > much this is incoveniencing? Do you Know how many of these dons would author > books, for use even for some of our secondary and Primary schools? Do you > Know How many People would be employed in the Administrative Positions? Do > you Know how many of our people would get a competitive advantage over other > Ugandans in getting employed in this University. Do you Know that the > Central region in Uganda has more graduates because they had a University in > the names of Makerere University. > > Vasco, what of the sheer development in Infrastructure, Business > opportunities, Hostels, e.t.c. Another aspect we should look into is does > this poor performance in National Exams determine whether our kids are dull > and substandard. What of Schools which perinially cheat and Students Perfom > Wonders, are these students better than us. Our Experience and I hope the > David Olema's explain this is that passing highly is not essentially an > indicator of intelligence. > > I will give you an example of Zachary Lomo. This Guy Studied in a self help > made School in Sudan while they were refugees, He latter on studied in a > School which was virtually unknown in Kampala. He did not get the 4As at > A-Level which was a prerequsite for offering Law. He got some sponsers who > understood his Capacity. He went on to do law, Excelled and defeated the so > called 4A students of Kisubi, Budo, Namilyango, He went to Harvard and > smashed all the records and He has completed His Phd in Cambridge. So lets > not imagine that the poor performance in our schools means dullness. There > are many factors. Imagine the best boy in West Nile told the World that it > was the Ombachi Old Boys who challenged him to concentrate. What our kids > need now is not lack of facilities or infrstructure, It is change in > Attitude. Give us three more years, with the Work Sam Ejibua, Draecabo and > Okuni and other Obs and Ogs are doing we shall shoot up the academic scale. > > Please lets not oppose this University. It can be taken anywhere. after all > while we were in power what did we do for ourselves? > > > _______________________________________________ > WestNileNet mailing list > [email protected] > http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet > % WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ > > > The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including > attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way. > _______________________________________________ > >
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