Any education system must aim at achieving three goals: the spiritual growth of the learners no matter what their faith, intellectual growth and social transformation.

The teaching and learning process should, therefore, equip learners with cognitive (thinking), affective (feeling) and psychomotor (doing) abilities. However, interacting with many people who have gone through our education system, even to the highest levels such as PhD, leaves one wondering if these people are any different from those who never attended school at all.

Their talk, thinking, reasoning and actions reflect less of their education but more of the social and cultural communities where they come from. For the purpose of this article, I will focus on the affective and psychomotor abilities that are most lacking amongst our ‘educated’ class.

Our ‘educated’ people have no feelings at all. The education system only equips them with pride and sense of entitlement. What else would explain the presence of scarcity, hopelessness and poverty amidst wastage and plenty?

How can the member of parliament from Karamoja get sleep in Kampala when thousands of children from that area are on Kampala streets with no hope for the future? These big people are entitled to big cars and huge bonuses to serve their people and will hold the country to ransom until these benefits are offered without reflecting on the entitlements and rights of their constituents.

The highest-paid civil servants in the land are entitled to bonuses for doing work for which a monthly pay is given and yet other civil servants with no proximity to the power centre are serving under harsh conditions.

Who will save the weak among us if we are all thinking about individual needs, and not common good? The change we desire must start with us and our families. We need to serve above self. 

Most often, our talk and walk are so different. We talk against one evil only to practice it intentionally and with impunity. Many of us abuse our education system through our omissions and commissions. A doctor will stop others from smoking and heavy drinking only to do exactly the opposite. A politician will speak against injustice and tribalism and will promote them secretly or publically.

A religious leader will preach about humility and care only to enrich his/her family through exhortation from the poor. A tribal leader will use tribal sentiments for personal gain. Why did we then go to school if we are no better than our ancestors? Why are we unable to tame our animalist appetite and greed?

Many young graduates cannot leave their parental homes. They are too dependent to survive on their own, but can go partying from Monday to Sunday! Meetings are called to fundraise for weddings, birthdays and graduation parties. Why should you have a wedding party that you cannot fully finance and have to burden every relative and friend? 

Young graduates are borrowing to consume on luxuries, and not to invest. We take children to particular schools just because the school has nice buildings and the neighbour’s child is attending that school. Why don’t we fundraise for business start-ups? Seriously, what is wrong with us? Why should someone borrow for Christmas or any other celebrations?

I keep wondering why the release of national results such as Primary Leaving Examinations is used by the media and schools to cheat the ignorant but, most often, educated parents! Are those results the only parameter for success? Do we all send our children to school to get first grades?

Some schools are now screening learners to make sure that all those that don’t seem to have capacity to have good results are sent to other schools so that when the results are out, these schools have 100 per cent pass rate.

Unfortunately, society has allowed them to do so! How can I have my child in your school from nursery only to be  forced to register from another school for your personal economic gain? Where is the assertiveness in our educated class?

Lecturer, International University of East Africa, Kampala.