Education and Identity Politics in Uganda

Revitalizing the Roman Catholic Church's values in their founded primary schools

Abstract

The Roman Catholic Church is globally and historically renowned for the provision of quality education that stresses the development of the whole person. Traditionally, the Consecrated persons of their religious institutes - who were well grounded in the Catholic ethos, headed the Catholic schools. Today however, the management of Catholic schools is increasingly being handed over to the non-consecrated persons who lack proper orientation in the ethos of Catholic education. The Catholic schools are facing financial challenges that are perhaps straining them into a mission drift, from prioritising the poor and the Catholic community to giving more preference to the well-to-do; and the focus on academics with limited or no integration of the Catholic values in the curriculum. The informal interaction with teachers of Catholic primary schools in Uganda revealed an increasing secularization of the Catholic Schools. It is recommended that teachers in Catholic schools be oriented in the Roman Catholic ethos and be provided with support materials that explains their faith and how it can be integrated in the curriculum. This should be followed by continuous professional development and support supervision so as to ensure the implementation of the Roman Catholic values in the Catholic founded primary schools.