However, amidst this phenomenal expansion of higher educational institutions lurks the question of relevance of programmes. Most courses offered in these institutions remain out of tune with market demand. This is what I have called “non–human capital development courses”.

The problem that emanate from non-human capital development courses are two fold:

The courses do not generate competitiveness among graduate which leads to unemployment

The non–competitiveness of the graduates and the resultant inability to find jobs culminates into despair among degree holders. There has been significant gains in the girl-child enrolment at the tertiary level. Increasingly, more girls are graduating from institutions of higher learning. As Aggrey, a Ghanaian poet and politician once counselled, “educate a man and you will have educated an individual, but educate a  woman and you have educated a nation”. It is crucial that we continue to have women graduates but it is even more rewarding that these women graduate in courses that offer wide economic and social choices and opportunities for these women not only to earn their livelihoods, but also to acquire the assertiveness and other life skills that will eventually increase their competencies and management capacity in both production and reproduction.

There has been un ugly trend that is easily discernable by all those with a critical view of the trends in our education sector. There is currently a close link between higher education and household poverty. Previously, households could sacrifice anything they had including: land, gomesis for women, bicycles etc; in order to have their children in school. The expectation was that after graduation, the assets earlier sold would be replaced even four-fold hence breaking the shackles of household poverty. Paradoxically now, there is a cross–section of households throughout the county that have made such sacrifices only to sink further in absolute poverty. This is a clear indication that higher education is not meeting its expectations from unsuspecting household! Yet in many communities in Uganda, the proverbial adage goes: “the only inheritance you can bequeath your child is a pencil (in reference to education)”. It is absolutely disheartening that a university graduate becomes incapable of ensuing his/her livelihood let alone being useful to his/her family and community. I haste to point out here that this animal called education is globally described as: A consumption good