By Hassan Badru Zziwa
WEEKLY OBSERVER

King’s College Budo, St. Mary’s College Kisubi and Uganda Martyrs Namugongo have sent the highest number of students to study top science courses at public universities. According to the official admission records released last week by the Joint Admissions Board, Budo has sent 46 candidates to the top science courses in the public universities.
The universities are Makerere, Kyambogo, Mbarara, Gulu and Busitema.

Kisubi comes second with 39; Namugongo has 33, Ntare School 31, Gayaza High School 22, and Mengo S.S. 21.
The top science courses we have considered for this report are: Medicine, Dental Surgery, Nursing, Pharmacy and Veterinary Medicine. Others are Civil, Electrical, Mechanical and Agricultural Engineering; Quantity Surveying, Architecture, and Agriculture (See table right).

Last year, the same schools dominated admissions to the top science and related courses, with Kisubi leading with 60 students, followed by Budo (50) and Namugongo (38).
This year, Kisubi has the highest numbers – 16 in medicine at Makerere, Gulu and Mbarara where this course is taught.
Namugongo follows with 15, Ntare 13, Namagunga and Budo 12 each, and Gayaza 10.

The government is sponsoring only 169 medical students in all the three public universities with medical schools this academic year.
That means that the above six schools scooped 46% of the government medicine scholarships. The remaining 54% scholarships have gone to other 38 urban based schools. There are about 700 S.6 schools in the country.

The universities have admitted 2,608 students, mainly to science courses, constituting 75% of the government sponsorships awarded on academic merit. The district quota system accounts for the remaining 25%.
The same schools also dominated admissions to public universities in other science-oriented faculties, like engineering and agriculture.
West, Central dominate

In terms of regional distribution, the west and central regions lead the list of government-sponsored students.
According to the admissions list released last week, which The Weekly Observer is publishing in this issue, the western region sent 620 students; central has 582, followed by eastern with 407. Kampala and Wakiso being part of the highly cosmopolitan capital city are separated from the central region. Kampala alone sent 302, and Wakiso 226. Northern Uganda accounts for only 204.

All the districts that make up western and central regions are represented at the six public universities (Makerere, Makerere Business School, Kyambogo, Gulu, Mbarara and Busitema).

However, three districts in eastern and northern Uganda have no students getting the government scholarships. These are; Bukwo (East), and Kilak and Koboko (North). Two Karamoja districts - Kotido and Kaabong - have one student each, the same figure as Busiki in eastern Uganda.