“Evening Classes Were Not Abolished” – Makerere Clarifies

The Makerere University Vice Chancellor, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe has clarified that the university has not abolished evening classes as several news outlets have reported, but that the evening program has been devolved to the respective Colleges to decide how to manage it.

Last week, the Vice Chancellor called a news conference at which he announced major changes in how his new administration will run Uganda’s biggest institution of higher learning. He announced that following resolutions of a Council meeting, the provision of meals in halls of residence and the staff incentive package would be abolished and that the implementation of the evening program would be reviewed.

Prof Nawangwe had explained to the press that the basis of these changes in evening classes was financial, as they were weighing on the university’s already meagre resources yet generating less funds.

The announcement sparked serious debate both in the public realm and within circles of the teachings staff, some questioning how the university which is faced with minimal class facilities and enrolls working students would scrap evening classes.

Yesterday, the University tweeted; “The rumour that evening programmes have been abolished is not true. All evening programmes will continue normally”.

Prof Barnabas Nawangwe recently clarified that Colleges within Makerere which fulfill quotas on day and evening programmes will be allowed to run evening programmes and “they will be responsible for managing such programmes, including paying the lecturers and other staff who manage those programmes”.

“Colleges which choose to run evening programmes will contribute only 20% of revenue to the Centre to cater for central activities,” he added in a rejoinder statatement through his Twitter.

He says that due consultations with key stakeholders were made before the Council resolution and that the decision arrived at was the best for those who wish to continue offering evening programmes and for those who do not.

The University says that now that nobody will be required to teach more than 12 hours on the day and afternoon programmes, the issue of evening lecturers demanding extra pay will not qualify.

According to Management, the new reforms will remove red tape which has increasingly made the evening programmes inefficient and bring back innovation to the colleges.

Reviewing of the evening program followed decisions two months ago by lecturers at the Schools of; Law and Journalism at Makerere University to stop teaching evening classes citing the failure by the Management to pay them their incentive allowances.

The lecturers argued that they were faced with a lot of workload and working beyond the stipulated Public Service time (5pm) but with no extra payment.