Practical approach is needed from different stakeholders

Editor, With reference to the editorial page of The New times’ Tuesday, 25th August 2009’, I would like to comment on the issue of incompetence and the role different stakeholders. First and foremost, the education sector is not an isolated institution and to address the issue our companies, both private and public, have a big role to play in shaping the practical know-how of our graduates. All over the world, graduates always need induction (transitional period), industrial attachments as well as update trainings to bridge the gap between the principles obtained at university and the tasks found on field. In this regard I question how many of our institutions approach our university students to give them projects to execute during their undergraduate stages? The policy makers also need to acknowledge the tiresome work people in academia do and try to motivate them in terms of descent pay-there is a noticeable gap in salary scale of our public institutions. There is a need to match an increasing number of students with the facilities available as well as qualified staff. I myself was once a primary teacher and I know what commitment it requires where you find other people resting after work and you find yourself marking or preparing the next lessons. This becomes more challenging if a single lecturer is teaching in say an engineering class of more than 80 students that requires him to prepare labs and mark them. How can they a follow up of final year projects to make sure they are appropriate? How can they get time to make research and publish? How would we expect quality? It’s a tradeoff of quality versus quantity. Universities need also set up efficient carrier guidance centers to inform and guide new students as well as the graduating ones about the job market. In many situations knowing what course to take and why to take it is a difficult thing, especially for students with poor backgrounds and illiterate parents. On this ULK has taken the lead. Employers both private and public should know the level and type of skills the young graduates will be having, given the capacity of our academic institutions and try to develop them instead of expecting them to perform miracles. Faustin Kazitungafaustinkazitunga@yahoo.co.uk

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Practical approach is needed from different stakeholders