Govt to aid private universities

Luweero. President Museveni has said the government will provide special grants to private universities that promote science courses starting with the next financial year.
The new policy, the President said, will initially consider faith-based universities that will receive a special grant of Shs1 billion.
“Government will adopt a policy to give a special grant to Private Universities which have started to realise the government vision of promoting science courses,” Mr Museveni said.
“I have seen progress in areas of sciences in some of these universities, which is in line with the government vision of promoting science courses,” he added.
The President made the remarks while commissioning two students’ hostels at Ndejje University last Thursday. One of the hostels was built by Mityana Diocese.
He said the grant will be part of the government plan to encourage universities and tertiary institutions to teach relevant courses that offer employability.
Dr Stephen Samuel Kazimba, the Bishop of Mityana Diocese, said the hostel, which was built at a cost of Shs3.4b, is part one of the different projects where the Church will raise funds to help the growing number of retired and elderly clergy, widows and orphans in the diocese.
“We have been boosted by the vision initiated by Ndejje University consortium which gave the dioceses in central region a chance to construct hostels at the university,” Bishop Kazimba noted.

Relief in waiting
The news comes as many leaders of private universities are calling on the government for support. The leaders say providing quality education is costly yet the universities rely on enrollment to provide education and make a profit. They are also forced to provide a course curriculum that is on demand and eventually certain courses that create a balanced university student are neglected.

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