Early Childhood Equity in Uganda

I came across a podcast that I want to share. It is located on the Word Forum’s website. This is a conversation with Dr. Barnabas Otaala, Dean of Education at Uganda Martyr’s University. Uganda is located in Eastern Africa. HIV/AID is still prevalent in Uganda where the child population is deeply affected. In this podcast, Dr. Otaala talks about the importance for early childhood educators to collaborate with doctors and communities in order to identify the children who could use early intervention services. In the case of HIV/AID, this intervention can save children’s lives. Dr. Otaala recalls the case of a young girl whose family always asked for money to help her but never did. The child’s teachers and the doctors intervened and provided services for the child.

This podcast sparked my curiosity about early education in Uganda, and I learned that equity in early care and education is still an issue in that country. The major problem for early education in Uganda is equal access to programs. Pre-kindergarten education is practically nonexistent except in metropolitan areas where it is controlled by the very few private agencies and individuals. When it comes to primary education, most schools are located in urban areas leaving children in villages and rural areas without access to education and qualified staff. There is also a huge gender divide. Young girls are still are the least educated. Moreover, children have to walk miles and miles to reach schools. Therefore, the majority of children enter school unprepared because they not only lack quality programs but also have parents who often cannot read not write and have little incentives to further their children’s education. Fortunately, the current government has identified the need to invest in early education. In addition, global organizations such as the World Forum, UNICEF, and a number of non-governmental organizations are investing in the early education and the improvement of young girls’ access to programs.

If you are interested in listening to this podcast, go to http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/current-work/world-forum-radio/