Education is not value-free: that is why we are in a mess

Op-Ed: Recently, I watched a thought-provoking talk show on NTV featuring Mr. Andrew Mwenda, Hon. Semujju Nganda, Hon. Mwanga Kivumbi, and Hon. Enos Asiimwe, with Mr. Mwanguhya chairing. I was particularly impressed by Mr. Mwenda’s in-depth analysis of economic issues, although laced with some political corretness, just as Mr Enos Asiimwe. Hon. Mwanga Kivumbi and Hon. Semujju’s insights on leadership ang grand corruption.

However, despite acknowledging that President Museveni presides over a patron-client corrupt nation, the discussion ultimately lacked a clear vision or solutions for the country’s challenges.

This reflects a broader issue among Uganda’s power elite and learned apologists, who often normalise and rationalise our persistent crises by attributing them either to colonial legacies, IMF/World Bank, World Trade Organisation, theoretical education, tribalism, and the notion of forced state formation due to incompatibilities. Suggesting that our status as an underdeveloped nation is merely a normal stage in our historical journey. However, these myths economic and political lies need to be deconstructed before we can propose meaningful alternatives for our country.

I am not suggesting that, the panelists raised all these issues, but certainly many were implied, especially be Mr Andrew Mwenda, when he pointed accusing fingers to IMF for misleading President Museveni. But, I would like to refer to what Mr Tony Blair, the former Prime Minister when asked about his policies, he responded by saying, the first was education, number two education, and three education, before he when on to explain.

Thus, we need to accept that we have failed badly on education policy, especially value based education.

Policies that advocate burying our heads in the sand, which we always like to engage in  are simply indefensible; the mechanistic rationality and educational policies that now prioritise, for example, giving young people more and more information, putting science over the humanities, and lack ethical grounding are fundamentally inadequate.

The is fundamental choice for us as a country is to declare an end elitism and the pervasive malaise of individualism that undermines our collective progress, and promotes corruption. This malaise in Uganda’s governance primarily stems from miseducation, which fosters a chronic individualism, power elite, and poor leadership that exploits public resources for private enrichment, as rightly pointed out by Hon. Mwanga Kivumbi, on grand theft of national resources.

The culture nurtures a self-serving power elite that now permeates the entire social fabric; under a patron-client network that currently prevails in NRM-led regime.

People are inherently social and political beings. A transformative educational approach—both academic and civic is essential to address the needs of our society.

The principles of “Ubuntu” or true communitarian liberalism could liberate us from the endless mess we find ourselves in, even making the room for corruption impossible. There is need to critically examine the failures of our education system, which lacks values and a clear ideological foundation, and does not create any love for our country.

Education is vital for understanding our national direction, and we have a collective responsibility to develop a social solidarity economy on a sustainable basis going forward.

Countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Mongolia, and Rwanda have faced complex colonial histories yet achieved sustainable progress, because these nations recognise that education is a political institution, and policymakers must consider the type of citizens they wish to cultivate (Russell, 2010).

The so-called “Asian Tigers” did not transform solely due to technological advancements; their development stemmed from intellectual, social, and political constructions. For instance, Japan, despite being devastated by atomic bombs, was revived through value-based education. In “The Art of Japanese Management,” Pascale and Athos (1981) highlight that America’s managerial skills faced challenges that required a shift in social values, where people began to expect different outcomes from organisations and work, and Japan was there best student.

Japan’s rise in the 1980s exemplified the importance of values in shaping economic growth. The country emphasised education that integrated cultural values promoting collective effort and group harmony over individual ambition.

This alignment of values with educational practices led to an industrious workforce capable of innovative thinking. Japan adopted American manufacturing principles but tailored them to fit their cultural ethos, enhancing productivity and national growth.

Similarly, the success of the Asian Tigers Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, and South Korea cannot be solely attributed to the promotion of science, technology, and vocational skills; rather, it is rooted in a strong ideological foundation prioritizing shared values.

In 1993, these nations articulated their core values under the leadership of Lee Kuan Yew during the Bangkok Conference. These values formed the bedrock of their educational systems and fueled their progress while warding off external influences that threatened their cultural integrity.

While in Africa, leaders like Julius Nyerere in Tanzania constructed a national mindset grounded in the Arusha Declaration of 1967 and the Ujamaa spirit, transforming Tanzania into a beacon of stability and one of the continent’s fastest-growing nations. Nyerere’s approach was not merely about replicating technologies, but cultivating ideological clarity and social cohesion.

Countries like Botswana and Seychelles have similarly thrived by integrating cultural values into their national identities. This is our missing link: education for political intelligence, meritocracy, pragmatism and honesty.

Unfortunately, has failed to learn that practical wisdom that, knowledge and technology can be domesticated by integrating them into a nation’s culture, and good governance matters more that technology.  For example, Asian countries like China and South Korea have progressed by emphasising ethos of hard work, common good, nationalism, and reverse engineering, adapting and optimising Western technology for their local contexts.

They have sent numerous students abroad to study technology, but their success lies in synthesising foreign knowledge with their indigenous values. So, where are our values? What is Uganda’s national culture or identity? What specific ideology can we identify Uganda with? And in the absence of these, how can we expect to develop as a country?

Lessons for Uganda

1. Embrace Value-Based Education: We must recognise that the world has advanced beyond traditional economic growth stages, as prescribed by Rostow’s model. Uganda can bypass many of these stages by adopting a clear, value-based educational framework.

2. Challenge Traditional Economic Paradigms: The rudimentary and theoretical economics still applied by our policymakers are insufficient. We need to embrace values espoused in “The Economics of the Common Good” (Tirole), and invest in cooperative ventures that prioritize collective well-being.

3. Rethink the Role of the Private Sector: Countries characterised by robust public sectors, such as the USA, UK, Germany, France, Japan, Singapore, India and China, demonstrate that a thriving economy does not rely heavily on a large private sector. In contrast, Uganda’s historical rush toward liberalisation and privatisation in the 1980s and 1990s has led to catastrophic outcomes. The nations advocating for us to adopt these measures often do the opposite, prioritising public welfare and investment in their own economies while restricting imports from our country. Yet we don’t learn and still for their advices.

4. Establish a Coherent Ideological Framework: We are once again at risk of distorting our education system based on a Western industrial science and technology paradigm in a nation that lacks a clear national ideology. Such a misalignment could spell disaster and serve as the final nail in the coffin for Uganda’s development trajectory.

5. Cultivate Effective Leadership: Uganda suffers from poor leadership and management that fails to inspire a sense of direction and purpose among the population. Good leaders must establish clear strategic objectives, foster authenticity in relationships, and build trust, reliability, and consistency. Because, a productive society thrives on hope, optimism, energy, and commitment, whereas an unproductive society is often driven by consumption and entertainment.

6. Promote Intellectual Engagement: A society that descends into anomie and is filled with pseudo-intellectuals lacks moral compasses, which Uganda is increasingly becoming. To remedy this, we must encourage a culture of reading, research, and development to create intellectual capital. Only through fostering a productive society can we hope to reverse the current trajectory of consumption-driven behaviour that has become prevalent in Uganda.

In summary, the path to Uganda’s revitalisation lies in the recognition that education must not be value-free; it must be a vehicle for instilling ethical principles that promote social solidarity and accountability. Embracing a value-based educational framework, can cultivate responsible, accountable, cooperative, and inclusive citizens equipped to engage in the political and social spheres. The success stories of nations like Japan and the Asian Tigers remind us that cultural values and collective well-being are vital components of sustainable development.

As a nation, we must commit to reversing the modern malaise of individualism and elitism, fostering a spirit of collaboration that can lead us toward a more equitable and prosperous future. The journey begins with each of us recognizing the power of education as a transformative tool grounded in values. Together, we can build a better Uganda one that is not only developed in terms of infrastructure and economy but is also rich in ethical and societal values.

References for deeper reading

1. Owen, J. (2017). The Leadership Skills Handbook: How to Develop the Skills You Need to Succeed. Kogan Page.
2. Pascale, R. T., & Athos, A. G. (1981). The Art of Japanese Management: Applications for American Executives*. Simon & Schuster.
3. Russell, B. (2010). Education and the Good Life. Retrieved from [Online].

The author is Steven Birija Kazimura (SBK), the former Masindi district LCV chairman.

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