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{
    "id": 230526,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/230526/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 243,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Capt. Nakitare",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 348,
        "legal_name": "Davis Wafula Nakitare",
        "slug": "davis-nakitare"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, you have heard what hon. Karaba has said. However, I would wish to elaborate further. When a student goes for a school certificate, he starts to get a taste of the \"A\" level of education. This will enable the student do an English test meant for foreign students. That examination is the only way forward for a student who is aspiring to go overseas for further studies. However, without a proper foundation, it becomes very hard to force a student who does not have relevant education material to advance his or her studies overseas. Such a student will not be able to sit an overseas examination or even have a sense of feeling that one can actually board an aeroplane and go overseas for further studies. The general certificates of education, that is, \"A\" level and \"O\" level are steps that are meant to prepare students for higher and greater heights in the education system. We know that, professionally, there are steps that have not been applied in the 8-4-4 System of Education. I do not know much about this education system because it was introduced long after I had completed my education. The education system that I went through was called General Certificate of Education (GCE). It is that system that made me who I am now. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, generally, the 8-4-4 System of Education should be terminated. It has made it very hard for students who leave this country for further studies overseas because they are again subjected to two-years orientation. This has embarrassed the students and has become a burden to the parents who raise funds for their tuition and air ticket. After the GCE, we had two years entrance in college. That did not mean that it was the end of a student who joined a technical or medical college. A college was another step of refining a student to join a university, where the medical students spent seven years. The engineers spent seven years doing practicals. Therefore, a student spent 14 years at the university in order to qualify as an engineer. As a person with knowledge in aeronautical engineering, I know the system works where it applies. This is like a beacon. Therefore, we must start preparing students for university entrance from the beginning. On the other hand, it also bothers me as much as it bothers parents and even teachers - I wonder what the Ministry of Education does - that there is a change in the syllabus of the 8-4-4 System of Education every year. Teachers are forced to tell the students to tell their parents to buy different textbooks written by different authors every year. Even the publishers have commercialised education to the point that we are not getting the right materials. I will highlight that. For many years, text books like the Biology ones written by Abbot took us from the \"O\" level to \"A\" level. We had the Physics textbook written by Mackean. 4182 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES December 6, 2006 We also had books by Durrel both in Arithmetic and Algebra and Trigonometry. It is as if those books were to stay forever. They were books that were handled and taught in schools by Carey Francis in Alliance High School, Shimo La Tewa High School, Mangu High School and Kakamega High School. Those books were used for a long time by the students who joined Makerere University. Those students became engineers, doctors and philosophers. I think we have to choose what is right for our people. Did we gain Independence to change to a system that will not lead us anywhere? I do not think there is value in burdening a children with 15 subjects when we did a maximum of eight subjects, including practicals. We had carpentry and homecraft at that time. What is the difference? Claywork was also included. Why should a school teach technical subjects instead of theory? What is the purpose of a technical college, a medical college and a teacher training college? These are the things that we need to harmonise. The Ministry of Education should come down. I know it is at a \"high\" because it is not easy to change a system in a Government. However, I think we are speaking for the people. The burden is in the syllabus; that is changing textbooks year in, year out. Mr. Karaba talked about languages. We speak French, English and Kiswahili we learnt from the 7-4-2-3 System of Education. We had books like Alfu Lela Ulela in Kiswahili. If I speak the Kiswahili from that textbook, modern students will not understand it in most cases. This is because they have no"
}