Education News - Education World News
Wednesday, 07 January 2009 01:13
Getting value for money for education in Uganda
Higher educational institutions in Uganda should manage their resources in consideration of the prevailing environment in which they operate.
This is the conclusion of a recent study “Value for money and efficiency in Higher Education systems of developing countries: resources management and effective management of higher education systems in Uganda” by Mr. Benon Basheka of the Uganda Management Institute.
“This study,” the author wrote, “supported by the prevailing local and international literature has confirmed that higher educational institutions in Uganda should manage their resources in consideration of the prevailing environment in which they operate.”
According to the author, his study has validated that there are at least four core management functions critical in the management of a higher education system in a developing country perspective which can contribute; if well undertaken, to attainment of quality education and higher education outcomes. These functions are planning, staffing, leading and controlling.
Mr. Basheka further contends that “the study has confirmed that effective management of the various resources in higher education significantly impacts on the planning, staffing, and controlling functions of higher education.”
The study sample consisted of senior administrators and management of seven higher educational institutions (4 public and 3 private), policy makers from the National Council for Higher education (NCHE), the Ministry of Education and Sports, selected students leaders, and members of the academic staff.
In total, Mr. Basheka desired a sample size of 384 respondents and out of these 296 respondents filled in the self-administered questionnaires (representing 77 per cent).
Effective management of higher education
The study author was inspired by the fact that while the importance of resources in the running of effective management of higher education system has been recognized by many, limited scientific research has been done in Uganda’s higher educational systems to establish the extent to which efficient and effective resources management could contribute to effective management of higher educational systems.
To the author, the study has major implications. Among these is the increasing demand of accountability amidst declining government funding. There is also the need for managers to take the initiative of how resources are managed in their institutions.
In addition the author concluded that quality education will remain the undisputed measure of efficiency of a higher education system, and it requires the participation and involvement of all stakeholders.
Uganda’s higher education system dates back to the 1920s with the advent of Makerere University initially as a technical college to serve students from the British East African territories of Kenya, Tanganyika, and Uganda.
Now there are five public universities and a host of public tertiary institutions dotted across the country. The country has also witnessed the coming on scene of several privately owned institutions all over the place.
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