Examining the Contribution of the Colonial Education System Vis-à-vis Leadership and Service Delivery in Uganda
Gyaviira Kisitu, Margaret Ssebunya
Abstract
Having a good command of the English language accompanied with the constitutionally required academic
qualifications seems synonymous to leadership ability and better service delivery in Uganda. However, the
experience of some political leaders, who have failed to offer sufficient leadership and good service delivery, yet
possess the minimum academic qualifications for their particular offices is found to be controversial and raises
critical reflections on the contribution of colonial education system in postcolonial societies such as Uganda.
Through a postcolonial theoretical framework the paper advances a finding that colonial education in Uganda
and its linguistic tool of English speaking, reading and writing has succeeded in establishing a hierarchized
society that locates individuals in categories of the ‘educated’ and ‘uneducated’. The paper thus argues that these
categories have reinforced an assumption that the ‘educated’ individuals [as far as the colonial education system
is concerned] are the most favorable in taking up leadership positions, a position that undermines the success of
service delivery in Uganda.
Full Text: PDF