The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development is reviewing the national parenting guidelines to come with a manual that offers tips to parents on how to raise their children to be responsible citizens.
Innocent Byaruhanga, the Assistant Commissioner Family Affairs in the ministry told Uganda Radio Network in an interview that the manual which is to be released in Runyakitara, Luo, Luganda, Iteso and Acholi in addition to English will be ready by August.
The guidelines he said were thought of owing to what he referred to as moral decay which is leading to increasing tales of intolerance, unnecessary strikes and demonstrations, corruption and domestic violence.
The process was started in 2017, he says but when guidelines were circulated to key individuals, they rejected them saying they were lacking in content.
He adds that the guidelines will give tips on expressing love, spending quality time with children, instilling cultural values, living by example, inculcating the value of wealth creation and saving, how to deal with children with special needs and promoting the right to play.
He said they met resistance because of not addressing issues of sexuality and reproductive health. He added that they have now invited the Ministry of Health and Education to give their views about issues like at what point a child should enroll in school and when a parent should start talking to them about sexuality. They had proposed the age for such conversations to start to be 10 years.
Uganda Radio Network spoke to a number of parents to establish whether it’s necessary to give parents a manual to guide them as they raise their children. Emmanuel Ainebyoona, a Public Relations officer said the manual can work if only it’s formulated after thoroughly consulting parents and not donors and officials in boardrooms.
Norah Kwairushani, a vendor in Kampala city center says young parents have resorted to raise their children depending on things they see in the media that documented guidelines and a manual may not work.
Dr. Sabrina Kitaka, a child health expert at Mulago hospital says dealing with adolescents a lot in her work, she sees an urgent need for guidance for parents to groom their children.
Health Minister Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng said parents need to be educated especially when it comes to things to do with sexual reproductive health since a lot has changed with modernity and we can no longer only rely on what was always being done over the years.
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