The National Council for Higher Education is planning to approve academic documents of refugees, so as to enable them attain education-related ambitions, as revealed in a symposium in Kampala recently.
The government intends to make sure that displaced people are entitled to educational services and are able to fully compete in the wild job market.
The symposium was attended by officials from the Office of the Prime Minister, international labor organizations, United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), and National Council for Higher Education.
While addressing the press, the executive director for NCHE, Prof Mary Okwakol, said they entered a partnership with Windle International Uganda, an international labor organization, to make it easy for refugees to have their documents equated and recognized.
According to Okwakol, the process started with awareness and sensitization among refugees in May last year. She however, noted that they have faced overwhelming numbers.
“Because of awareness, the demand is high and we are getting a lot of refugees who want to have their academic documents equated,” Prof Okwakol said.
She also noted that NCHE has identified the need to have the equating services digitalized and have the online system established.
“If the person studied outside the country in order to equate the qualification, we have to get a confirmation from the institution that the person studied and got the qualification, but when the person is coming from a conflict situation, the process becomes slow,’’ Prof Okwakol said.
Mr Dominic Gidudu, the Minister of State for Elderly Affairs, who represented the Gender minister Betty Amongi, said Uganda is the third country in the world in terms of hosting refugees. “The country should work towards ensuring that these people access education,’’ he said.
Februddd Benite Iraduha Nsekuye, a 21-year-old refugee from Congo living in Nakivale Settlement Camp, said she came to Uganda in 2017, but her dreams of becoming a medical doctor were shattered since her documents couldn’t be equated and recognizzed by NCHE.