Through technical training, and training in business skills, small-scale production, agriculture etc., it is possible to build the capacity of people for effective production for self-development and employment creation. Deliberately targeted training will also produce highly skilled and productive labour force that will underpin national development objectives and competitiveness, attract foreign direct investments (FDIs), and promote labour export (kyeyo).
FDC is committed to:
- Equal Access
to education at all levels, for all Ugandans, by gender and district, and for students with special needs. FDC will also promote adult education, literacy and civic education.
- Private Investments in Education
for the expansion of competitive primary, secondary and tertiary educational opportunities, through incentive measures such as tax-holidays, lower taxes and rebates for establishment of quality facilities and location of schools in disadvantaged areas.
- Standards and Quality Assurance
for all Ugandans at all levels, through setting minimum standards for infrastructure, facilities, welfare, teaching, and through curriculum development, testing of teachers, strengthening inspection and the regulatory bodies, monitoring, inspection and certification of institutions, and upholding international standards where applicable.
- Quality of UPE. FDC shall put in place measures to reform UPE, that is currently characterized by falsification of pupil numbers, abuse of construction funds, poor academic performance and lack of balance with post-primary education opportunities, so as to improve effectiveness of the programme through lowering of student/teacher ratios, increasing the book/student ratio and strengthening inspection and monitoring.
- School Dropout.
FDC isparticularly alarmed by the high dropout of the girl-child and other pupils generally from primary schools, and shall apply measures to immediately reverse this trend and improve school retention beyond the primary level.
- Compulsory Primary Education.
FDC shall implement a policy of ‘compulsory primary education’, where parents are compelled to ensure that their children attend school and learn as required.
- Private Schools.
FDC recognizes the responsibility demonstrated by private individuals and religious bodies in providing quality secondary and vocational education. FDC shall return all primary, secondary and other educational institutions nationalized in the 1960s to their foundation bodies (religious and non-religious).
- Government Schools.
FDC recognizes the need to ensure nationwide access to quality secondary education and commits itself to rehabilitating, comprehensively equipping and staffing national boarding secondary schools. FDC also pledges to rapidly increase the number of government-aided secondary schools and business, technical and vocational institutions to absorb the UPE bulge.
- Education in National Integration.
FDC shall institute a programme of student quota intake and local language training, underpinned by national scholarships, whereby boarding secondary schools will have quotas for students from all over the country and offer at least two local language courses.
- Technical and Vocational Training.
FDC shall rehabilitate and equip all existing technical and vocational institutions, review technical training curricula, seek foreign assistance to introduce skilled instructors, strengthen the training of technical teachers, and institute a special programme to train technical teachers locally and in the region. FDC shall also prioritize the building of a community polytechnic in all counties, municipalities and towns, with programmes in mechanics and electrical engineering, computer technology and ICT training.
- Science Education.
FDC shall institute special programmes for science education and training and the development of local technologies, including special initiatives to train science teachers, compulsory offer of maths, science and technical subjects, building of science laboratories and technical workshops in secondary schools, revamping science and technology training in tertiary institutions and universities, industrial apprenticeship programmes for school leavers, and science and technology research and development awards and support.
- Teacher Training.
FDC shall comprehensively review teacher training programmes, with a view to rationalizing curricula and establishing adequate capacities to train enough and highly competent teachers for primary and secondary schools, for science education and for technical and vocational training.
- Special Scholarships.
FDC shall set up a special scholarship programme for Universal Post-Primary Education (UPPE) of the girl-child, to address the high UPE dropout rates, retain girls in schools, and build opportunity for their gainful employment and better roles in society. FDC will also extend similar scholarships to specially gifted children, helpless orphans, children with disability and those of disadvantaged groups.
- Institutional Development.
FDC shall fund the rehabilitation of general infrastructure and re-equipping of Makerere University, and the full development of Mbarara, Gulu and Eastern universities, so as to offer internationally competitive training.
- Full Semester System.
FDC recognizes the need to ease access to university education, and therefore supports transformation of all tertiary and university programmes into full semester systems based on course modules and credit hours that allow flexible, demand-responsive, spread-out and affordable training opportunities to all Ugandans.
- Student Loan Scheme and Scholarships.
FDC shall establish student loan schemes to further ease access topost-secondary education, tertiary institutions and universities, and ensure access to education for students from poor families. Special scholarships will also be offered for key skills, to promote science and technology training and development, and to address imbalances in education development among districts and regions.
- International Competitiveness. FDC will reform the education curricula to meet international standards and to increase Uganda’s competitiveness in the global marketplace.
- Skills Development.
FDC shall undertake specialized skills development through large-scale local and international training programmes (special scholarships) to address specific skills and expertise development needs of the country, and to enhance international competitiveness. FDC shall also support tax reductions for companies that provide specialized training to their Ugandan workers and professionals.
- Language Training.
FDC shall institute comprehensive programme for Swahili, Arabic, French, German, Chinese and Japanese language training in all institutions.
- Retraining and Retooling.
FDC believes that retired citizens and redundant or laid out labour must remain economically useful, and will establish special institutes and formal programmes for their retraining, retooling and facilitation.
FDC recognizes the poor state of national health services, and the urgent need to promote high quality, affordable, reliable and internationally competitive health services, and a healthy, productive and highly motivating lifestyle for all Ugandans.
Therefore:-
- Health Services.
FDC shall undertake rehabilitation, modernization, equipping, stocking with drugs, and adequate staffing of Mulago as the National Referral Hospital, and of all District and Referral Hospitals, and shall fast track the construction, equipping and staffing of new District Hospitals and Health Centers.
- Health Training.
FDC shall comprehensively rehabilitate, equip and staff all health training facilities, strengthen the medical schools, and review curricula to ensure the highest standards and competencies of health workers, and their competitiveness in international health service provision and health labour markets. FDC will also implement a special clinic support programme to attract and retain skilled doctors in medical schools and colleges.
- Informal Community Health Service Providers.
FDC recognizes increased reliance of rural populations on informal health service providers, and will strengthen the capacities, safety and effectiveness of private community health service providers (clinics) and herbalists, and integrate them into the national health service system.
- Medical Drugs and Supplies.
FDC is committed to ensuring adequate access of all Ugandans to effective and affordable treatment, and shall promote the local manufacture of high quality drugs and medical supplies critical to combating such diseases as HIV/AIDS, Malaria, TB, gastrointestinal infections and other common illnesses; and to effective planning, procurement, distribution, usage and auditing of medical drugs and supplies.
- HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria.
FDC recognizes the need to sustain and further the gains the country has made in combating the HIV/AIDS scourge, and to effectively tackle TB and malaria. Instead of the ABC principle, FDC shall pursue an A to Z strategy for HIV/AIDS control and management of victims, that shall include promotion of abstinence, being faithful and use of condoms (ABC), universal access to free/cheap AIDS drugs, access of victims to their pension funds, nutrition, hygiene and prompt treatment of opportunistic infections, homecare and community support, help for orphans, household food and income security, and improving international collaboration on HIV/AIDS awareness and control programmes through. FDC shall also identify population groups and geographic locations that need special attention, and shall institute special programmes for the IDP communities.
- Primary Healthcare and Nutrition.
FDC shall re-establish programmes for homestead development, environment, home hygiene, nutrition and sanitation as critical primary healthcare tools, through the setting and enforcement of minimum standards and regulations. FDC shall also increase funding and support for water and sanitation, family planning and reproductive health, and primary healthcare programmes.
- National Health Plan and Insurance. FDC shall develop a National Policy and Plan for Universal Healthcare and Life Insurance coverage as a way of increasing efficiency and value for money delivery of health services, and to enhance national savings.
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