Abstract
Pastoralism is a production system closely linked with cultural identity that relies on raising livestock on pastures. Studies indicate that over 30 million people in the Great Horn of Africa (Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda) practice pastoralism and agro-pastoralism as a major source of livelihoods. Livestock are their social, cultural, spiritual and economic assets providing food and income for the family within and between generations. Yet this important production system of livelihood as well as socialisation mechanism is missing in the school or university curriculum of these countries including Uganda. With the exception of Tanzania and Ethiopia that have recently designed a curriculum on pastoral studies in their university curriculum, pastoral education has been missing in the school and University curriculum of the Great Horn of Africa school systems yet most of these countries livelihoods depend on pastoralism. From the socialisation perspective, the dynamism surrounding the livelihoods of these communities and/ or families impedes peace in society. Families as social units play very important role of socialisation and recreation therefore, making pastoral education an important element not only from an African traditional context but also from the sociological perspectives. The sense and complex nature of communities and households struggling to improve on their own survival and development through the practice of pastoralism are complex yet central to the maintenance of peace and stability of the communities. The inclusion of pastoral education to the school and university curriculum as a common or cross cutting course unit would introduce undergraduate and postgraduate students to the fascinating and rich world of pastoralism. This would provide the students with knowledge and skills to analyse and understand pastoral systems as they exist today, and the options for their future development in support of national economic growth in a changing world. The curriculum would also help students from different backgrounds to understand how pastoralism functions as a system, its contributions to local, national and global economies and sustainable environmental management, and its role in promoting peace, socialisation, and harmony between pastoral and other communities. Key words: Pastoralism, pastoral education, livestock.
Highlights
Pastoralism in policy and in practice is the most neglected area of knowledge and requires greater attention in developing capacity and creating opportunities for the communities that practice it
The objective of this study aims to examine the past and the present Uganda education system and policy that have continuously continued to side-lined the inclusion of pastoralism into the school/university curricular
The key policy thrust in the educational sector for both rural and urban Uganda includes providing equitable access to quality and affordable education to all Ugandans, propelling the nation towards achieving the goals of Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP), meeting commitments to achieve Education for All (EFA), the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that ended in 2015 and the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) that is to end in 2030 and the Uganda Vision 2040, are all developments initiatives focussing on streamlining the Uganda education system with the aim of making Uganda to attain a middle income level status
Summary
Pastoralism in policy and in practice is the most neglected area of knowledge and requires greater attention in developing capacity and creating opportunities for the communities that practice it. The de Bunsen Committee looked into teacher education and the educational structure which were subsequently implemented as follows: Teacher education i) The report said the training of teachers must be the basis of all educational development, a principle which the Protectorate Government had already recognized by initiating in advance of the report an interim scheme for the expansion of teacher training; ii) The improvement of the conditions and terms of service of teachers of all categories; iii) The expansion of secondary education in order to provide teachers for senior primary and secondary classes, Training College staffs, and men and women for the professions generally; iv) The expansion of facilities, both primary and secondary, for girls, which had seriously lagged behind facilities for boys; v) The extension of the full primary course from six to eight years, and the provision of a minimum of four years of education in all grant-aided schools; vi) The establishment of new primary schools. The key policy thrust in the educational sector for both rural and urban Uganda includes providing equitable access to quality and affordable education to all Ugandans, propelling the nation towards achieving the goals of Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP), meeting commitments to achieve Education for All (EFA), the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that ended in 2015 and the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) that is to end in 2030 and the Uganda Vision 2040, are all developments initiatives focussing on streamlining the Uganda education system with the aim of making Uganda to attain a middle income level status
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