Core Subjects in Secondary Schools

1. Mathematics
2. English Language
3. Biology
4. Chemistry
5. Physics
6. Geography
7. History
8. Physical Education (Non-examinable)

Elective School Subjects

1. Foreign Languages (Latin, Arabic, French, German)

2. Local Languages (Kiswahili, Luganda)

3. Religious Education (CRE,IRE)

4. Literature in English

5. Music

6. Fine Art

7. Agriculture

8. Computer Studies

9. Business Education (Entrepreneurship/ Commerce/ Accounts)

10. Technical Education (Technical Drawing/ Woodwork/Metal Work)

11. Home Economics (Home Management/Food and Nutrition/Clothing and Textile)

Other Critical School Subjects, other than the Core Ones

· Metal Work,

· Wood Work,

· Fine Art and

· Technical Drawing

These are key foundation subjects for the skills training areas. Fine Art for instance, is a critical skills in:

· Industrial and interior designing,

· advertising,

· surgery and laboratory works; metal work is key for steel works/steel engineering while Technical Drawing is key for architectural engineering, medicine, and industrial design.

Languages:

• French,
• Kiswahili,
• German,
• Chinese,
• Arabic,
• Spanish,
• Japanese
  
• Italian and Greek.

Labour externalization, including working with International NGOs, with UN Bodies e.g., UNESCO, UNDP, WFP, WHO, International Court, etc require additional ability to speak two or more of the international languages.

Individuals with this ability can work as:

• interpreters,
• Foreign Service Officers,
• court clerks,
• rapporteur, e.g. UN Rapporteur on Children,
• trade representatives,
• tour guide,
• airport and hotel chauffeur,
• hotel worker,
• tourist site worker, etc.

Kiswahili is key for the East African Community, especially for one to work at the Secretariat, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, and DR Congo. DRC and Burundi requires additional knowledge of French.

Uganda's trade links with the Far East, especially China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan also requires ability for speaking the Oriental languages, especially Chinese, Korean and Japanese.

Uganda has also adopted a Labour Externalization Programme, regulated by the Statutory Instrument No. 62,

The Employment (Recruitment of Ugandan Migrant Workers Abroad) Regulation, 2005. This means that Uganda can now formally export labour to foreign countries. However, ability to speak the local language at the country of exportation is critical for one to be placed in such a foreign country. It implies that on top of the work related skills, one should also have language skills in one or more of the international languages as mentioned above.

Selection of Courses to Pursue

Whenever you are selecting institution or course of study, you need to consider the following factors:

1. Knowledge provision, technical versatility and a cluster of core competences and generic skills required for career flexibility or adaptation to new ideas, new career opportunities and procedures for steady career development;

2. Relevance of the course you want to pursue and forecast of occupations that will be available and their requirements;

3. Appropriate knowledge balance between subjects required and the theoretical and practical application or aspects of the field of occupation;

4. Ability to enable you fulfill your desired personal and social life style in the future;

5. Inculcation of your values, ethics and personal attitudes and beliefs in preparation for being self-sufficient and a responsible citizen;

6. Interdisciplinary application of your technical knowledge as many occupations now require more than one competence. This can be a good resource for career change or job mobility

7. The social and economic aspects of the career you would wish to pursue, as personality types or personal characteristics and individual social responsibilities are part and parcel of one's career and one should enhance the other;

8. Multicultural aspects, as globalization makes it possible for one to work anywhere in the region and internationally. This may include consideration about foreign language as a study and the study of different cultures and beliefs;

9. General administration, including business management and managerial accounting and entrepreneurial skills as more and more opportunities are now available for self-employment;

10. Skills in computer usage as globally it is one of the primary skills, after literacy, numeracy and Life-Skills; and

11. Minimum entry requirements to the institution or programme of study/course.

Selecting Skills Training Programmes

In terms of employability prospects, skills training is the best option available. This can be in formal training institutions, or through apprenticeship in various workstations like workshops, garages, building sites, salon, industry, etc. They are aimed at giving young people necessary skills for workmanship in a particular trade of their choice.

The graduates of skills training programmes are easily absorbed into the Small to Medium Enterprises, which are numerous in the country. Such graduates can also set up their own enterprises and become employers themselves!

There are a number of Technical and Vocational schools around the country, which offer such skills training programmes, ranging from:

• Community Polytechnics,
• Farm Schools,
• Technical Schools,
• Vocational Institutes and Technical Institutes

They offer various courses at certificate levels, which can enable one to move on with their education or career development, through to university, and attain the highest academic qualification in one's chosen career field.

For the informal or apprenticeship training, the Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT), which is mandated to regulate skills training In Uganda, has provisions for accreditation of such courses and also offer trade tests for those who engage in them informally.

DIT has also come up with modular courses or skills categorizations in various trades, outlining the competency and skills to be achieved for each module.

They also administer trade tests, which can allow one to join the formal technical or vocational school to pursue a UNEB Craft Certificate, in various trades, and hence enhancing one's chances of joining the normal path to career development and growth, through life-long and continuous learning and education.

The advantage with apprenticeship programme or informal training is that it has flexible entry requirements, including age.

The basic requirement is interest, self drive and determination to learn a skill or an art inadequacies in other areas like numeracy and literacy can be addressed through the various Adult education programmes available, including going back to formal education pathway.

The 21st century Education