PALATINATE | Thursday 25th November 2021
17
Politics
Student
Uganda’s students are facing an educational crisis Annie Bell
(Amana Moore)
(Amana Moore)
Playground politics: its role in Chloe Holbrook Participation in student politics is often seen as a consequential part of university life; the stepping stone for years of future interest, or a chance to influence the day-to-day. For some, it might be the first time engaging in a political forum. For others, it is an initial opportunity to be heard in a community that appreciates them. However, the state of student politics, for all its worth, is arguably not universally held in the highest esteem nor greatly engaged with. Thus, the question arises of whether the institution itself, through the SU, JCRs, MCRs and political societies, can even be considered useful for today’s university population. There is much potential for student politics as it is a pathway to improve life on campus. There are those who argue that activism through the SU allows for an important amplified student voice, such as in 2016 when tuition fees were raised from £9,000 to £9,250. In highlighting the University’s “failure to consult” with the student body, they acted as a medium between the institution and its members. This allowed for a sense of recognition and validation that can pave the way for a lasting enthusiasm in politics. Nonetheless, there are claims
that these political interactions give an inflated sense of self importance that may not translate well into wider society or even make a difference within Durham. The mentioned decision was made by the University, and no students were asked for advice. Attempts to tackle issues beyond student control could result in undermining the value of student politics and voices. More generally, this could be seen as a distortion of the political world in the sense that students are not guaranteed to make change and could feel disillusioned. In many ways, the state of student politics in Durham is strong and crucial in giving students a taste of democracy. The SU gives opportunities for changemaking, for example, the “Register to vote” campaign encouraged voting in elections, empowering individuals to make decisions and providing a rudimentary basis for future engagement. This is indiscriminate in its wide-reaching audience; not limited to certain subsections. Similarly, current campaigns such as ‘Pincident’ that have created “an anonymous mapping tool… which records experiences of harassment” are tailored to the student population. These are important examples of student politics that have high engagement and show the value of Durham’s initiatives.
The JCR and MCR with their associated referendums could be seen as perfect, more limited exposure to the political world. “Should the role of senior student become sabbatical?”, asked a recent referendum and students are encouraged to attend debates and vote. So much value can be gained from passing responsibility to students who attend Durham as it gives a sense of ownership and satisfaction with the university experience. Unfortunately, many students do not engage with these activities; whether they simply do not appeal or have not been publicised in an engaging matter, it is a serious point to consider if student politics is to be as universally welcomed as possible. Between political party, feminist, environmental, minority group societies and more, there are myriad ways to get involved. Student politics remains an important part of life at Durham it is definitely alive and well. In some ways it is hard to avoid it. By reading Palatinate itself there is engagement. Although there are numerous shortfalls, and whilst the state of interest in Durham and perhaps any university is by no means perfect, the work that continues with the aim of ultimately improving student participation must be commended.
Education has been one of the hardest hit areas of societies worldwide since the outbreak of Covid-19. Whilst here in the UK, schools are almost entirely back to normal, educational institutions in Uganda have remained fully closed for over 77 weeks. A result of such factors as a lack of resources and delay in vaccine-rollout, this is the largest and longest school closure globally, rendering an entire generation premature school leavers and putting their futures, and Uganda’s, in jeopardy. It cannot be overstated how intrinsic a good education is for the development of self and the benefit of others. ot only does it provide the hard skills necessary to enhance one’s employability and contribute to boosting economic growth and GDP, but it enriches you with passions and serves as a powerful tool for social cohesion and mobility. Moreover, it increases one’s capital and enhances the chance to control one’s own life. The Ugandan government has made no secret about how highly it values education, labelling education as a vital factor in its ‘Vision 2040’ for economic growth. Although the country introduced free and universal primary education in 1997 (which saw an astronomical rise in student enrolment), its standards are still far from that offered by its private schools, which make up the majority of educational institutions in Uganda. As well as developing academic ability needed for the workplace, education supplies infants with the chance to develop the attributes gained through social interaction, such as selfesteem and teamwork. Education has also been proven to promote peace, suppress issues such as terrorism and discrimination from their core and even reduce infant mortality and increase human life expectancy. It sparks concern, then, that denying educational opportunities from an entire generation will set back the years of positive social developments in Uganda and cause the nation to emerge out of the pandemic in a far worse condition than perhaps the rest of the world. The Ugandan president ordered educational institutions to close initially for only 30 days back in March 2020. With this mandate, children were supplemented homework activities to last throughout the limited time frame; they were
not equipped to continue their education into the unprecedented months that accumulated. As a complete lockdown was implemented, it became almost impossible for parents to travel to schools to collect learning supplies, and although Zoom lessons were attempted, access to home computers and sufficient Wi-Fi is sparse. This issue is particularly exacerbated in rural areas of the country, where there were already blatant attainment gaps and disparities in resources. Education is a key component in reducing poverty, and it seems it will now be even harder for the rural population to compete with urban areas. Uganda’s political system seems mired and ineffectual. The old tyrant Yoweri Museveni, who toppled Idi Amin in 1986 and seized power, will celebrate his 36th year in power next January - one of the longest serving heads of state. Mr Museveni has been described as “authoritarian” and therefore there is little surprise that education policy is not top of the priority list for a government concerned mostly to maintain its own power. Girls are particularly hardhit by this crisis. The closure of schools has seen child marriages and teenage pregnancies sore, and government policy requires pregnant girls to refrain from attending school from the early months of pregnancy until the baby is six months old. This is estimated to account for almost 60% of school dropout cases in Uganda. This has pernicious outcomes on a girl’s life chances; since education increases agency, the independence of women is severely threatened when the very tool that provides them with it is taken away. Due to losses in family income throughout the pandemic requiring children to work, it seems that even when schools do open again, it is likely that many will not be able to return. Likewise, as the government has struggled to sufficiently pay teachers, many staff have had to find alternative sources of income and are unlikely to return to teaching. Since transmission rates are relatively low, it is absolutely requisite that the country increases its vaccine take-up in order to allow children back into schools. These young people are the country’s future and leaving education so prematurely is likely to have profoundly damaging effects not only upon Uganda’s economy and development, but on personal agency and life opportunities.
