Studying and parenting: Experiences of student mother in Ugandan universities

Abstract

In the past, University education in Uganda mainly catered for direct entrants from secondary schools.
Today, there is a significant shift where by many mature students are entering Universities. These
mature students include women who are parents as well. This trend has been influenced by the
introduction of various programmes such as: distance learning, evening, and weekend programmes
coupled with the growing number of private Universities that currently stand at more than 10 in
number. For this study, which inquired about the experiences of student mothers in Ugandan
Universities, data was collected from 53 respondents drawn from three universities, namely: Ndejje,
Nkumba and Kyambogo. The following were found to be reasons that motivate mature to go back to
study, which: promotion, status, protection of jobs, to match their highly educated husbands and their
own career building. The challenges faced were categorized as follows: domestic challenges;
challenges with spouses, challenges at the university and at places of work. These challenges thus call
for varying copying strategies that student mothers have to employ in order to strike a balance between
studying and parenting at the same time. The study recommends that universities needed to introduce
courses tailored to student mothers with an increased time frame without compromising educational
quality. In addition, student services that include guidance and counseling sessions and childcare
centres at University premises to support mothers' education should be taken into account. Employers
are also encouraged to introduce innovations in the way they relate with student mothers who may
decide to go back to study, including reduced workload or study leave where necessary, without
affecting the performance of the organization.

Mtafiti Mwafrika Vol.17 2006: pp.1-22