Dialogue in Pursuit of Development - Are you looking for one of ...

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academic environment. The 1980s began with hope as Idi Amin was driven
out and elections were held. Unfortunately civil war followed, the economy
collapsed further and as a result university salaries were eroded to the point
of insignificance. Makerere salaries were simply too low for staff to survive
on; infrastructure fell into disrepair, the library could not afford new acquisitions,
science labs had no chemicals or reagents and the quality of teaching
declined. The academic staff who could find employment abroad left the
country; those who remained were forced to ‘moonlight’ by running businesses,
driving taxis or taking a second job, to make ends meet. Needless to
say, there was little ability let alone ‘will’ to plan, within this context, for
Makerere University’s growth.
However, the country was transformed after 1986 under the relatively
stable government of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni through policies
of decentralization, liberalization, privatization and deregulation. Makerere
did not return to a position of past glories of status and respect, but continued
to suffer because the country was so impoverished. Makerere was forced
to innovate because government support had been eroded through the years
and never regained the levels previously enjoyed. Government priority
shifted away from support to tertiary education, as in the post-colonial period,
towards primary education and economic recovery in the 1990s.
By the early 1990s, Makerere University was at a low point, witnessing
the transformation of the country while suffering from deficient financing.
Therefore, out of desperation and need changes were ushered in, which
began the processes of transformation. The highlights of these changes included:
a dramatic change in admission policy; income generation from private
fee-paying students; a move towards decentralization of academic matters
to faculties and institutes; introduction of new demand driven courses;
Graph. Total annual Enrollment
18 000
16 000
14 000
12 000
10 000
8 000
6 000
4 000
2 000
0
93/94 94/95 95/96 96/97 97/98 98/99
Year
Source: Academic Registrar’s Office.