Parents, children urged to stop negative perception against vocational studies

Amos Tayebwa

Mbarara

Educationists and leaders from Ibanda Municipality have asked Parents and the Children who complete O’Level and A’Level to stop being misguided and with a wrong perception against Vocational education, tagging it to the failures or the poor.

While addressing the congregation at the graduation ceremony for Alliance Vocational School Ibanda, Dr. John Paul Ninkusiima aka Parnadol, the Member of Parliament for Ibanda South constituency who was the Chief Guest of Honor urged the parents to be at the center towards decision making for their children after S.4 and S.6.

MP Ninkusiima revealed that most of the children have lacked guidance from their parents when it comes to decision making while joining University or tertiary Institutions.

“It is important for us as parents to see beyond today, we don’t need to be shallow minded or to be driven by our children, we also need to see ahead on what we can guide our children very well. For example your child can tell you, may be he or she is planning to take a certain course in an institution like Alliance Vocational School or in any University, be in position to inquire or consult from people who know so that you can guide your child properly to ensure that whatever that child is going to take as a course is able to help him or her to earn a living and also help the community,” said MP Ninkusiima.

MP Ninkusiima has also asked the parents and the children to stop misperception against Vocational Studies. He said that the Government of Uganda has given an enabling environment that can allow any person to come up with any serious innovation that can transform himself or herself, the community and the country.

“For us as Government, the only way we can end unemployment is by allowing institutions like Alliance Vocational and others that can help our Youth study skills that can easily help them to look for money on their own without moving around the streets looking for jobs. I believe that when Our children opt for vocational skillings, they will be in position to create their own jobs, their own income and also be in position to employ others” he added

Elly Katsigire Atuhereze, an educationist and the Director of Alliance Vocational School also asked the parents, guardians and the children to embrace vocational education. He revealed that with vocational education jobs will look for you as one who has graduated with hands-on skills.

“I strongly condemn the perception within the public that vocational education is taken by those who don’t perform well at O’Level or A’Level or for those who are poor. For that matter I urge parents and their children to embrace vocational education, because with vocational education jobs will look for you instead of you looking for jobs. If someone has graduated with hands-on skills is able to create their own job,” said Katsigire

Katsigire further appealed to the Government to empower and support Vocational institutions as one way of boosting hands-on skills and to curb unemployment in the Youth.

“As Private Institutions we can’t say that we have enough, if the Government can think of how it can really support us, for example by giving us equipment like sewing machines, computers then as we also pay lecturers and cater for other facilities. We urge the Government to support us financially because what we are doing we are helping the Government because if we don’t exist as vocational institutions, the government would be much burdened,” said Katsigire.

Alliance Vocational School celebrated the 10th graduation where the institution passed out a total of 359 graduates from various courses with certificates and diplomas.