From Table 17 above, we note that the classroom -school ratio increased from 6 to 7 in 1998 and pupil-classroom ratio decreased from 50 to 44 in 1996 but increased to 82 in 1999 due to UPE which was introduced in 1997. This is a clear indication that classrooms are overcrowded. However, the this situation will soon change because more classrooms are being constructed and we do not expect enrolments to increase significantly from their current levels.

Figures in table 24 show that PLE passes had decreased from 82% to 72% over the years 1990 to 1997. The best performance was in 1990, where 82% of the candidates passed. The year 1992 saw the worst performance, with only 67% passes.

Much has been done in Uganda to provide education that meets quality standards (MQS), which are indicative of provision of good quality education in the primary schools. The provision of construction materials has facilitated the rehabilitation and expansion of existing classrooms where the pupils learn, new classrooms have been constructed and construction of latrines for boys and girls separately has been done. Provision of instructional materials has been met and pupils and teachers are using these materials. This will go a long way in raising the quality of primary education being provided. Primary Teacher Education has been undergoing reform too with improvement in, tutor training programmes, provision of transport and instructional materials, construction of tutor residences, and so on. To ensure that teachers and tutors do their job efficiently and effectively, teacher/tutor wage has been improved and government now pays their salaries in time. Such mechanisms which motivate tutors will guarantee quality teaching and learning in the country’s primary schools, and are reflected in reduced repetition rates (Indicator 12)and drop-out and an improvement in survival rates (Indicator 13) in Tables 23 and 24 respectively.

However, pupil teacher ratios remain high and this has an effect of reducing quality teaching because large classes put too much pressure on teachers. Government recognises this and the target is to reach a pupil teacher ratio of 40:1 by the year 2003.

These schools are playing a key role in widening access to primary education for Moslem communities. They do not concentrate only on Arabic Quran as was in the past but also other primary school curricular subjects are taught and learnt. These schools have opened up and do also recruit qualified teachers to work in them.

The taste of relevance of any kind of education is anchored in its curriculum. Here the issue is viewed in terms of the curriculum scope, range, and balance. There is such a new curriculum in place.

In the centre, the Ministry has been restructured and the Departments of Pre-primary and primary education, headed by a commissioner, have been established to formulate policies, plans and guidelines in respect of pre-primary and primary education and to guide, monitor and evaluate their implementation. This is a definite boost in providing quality education.

Until the recent past Government has been financing and managing primary education. Since UPE Government has broadened financing education to include other stakeholders e.g. the communities, funding agencies and the NGOs. The Aide Memoire on the Joint Government/Donor Review of ESIP of April 12th to 23rd 1999 acknowledged the work of the Government in respect of Budget Support Undertakings. There has been considerable progress by the Government in implementing the various undertakings incorporated in its agreements with Financing Agencies. They include involvement of local communities in financing primary education. Some of these communities experience abject poverty so are a problem and constraint to the progress of UPE.

Government’s achievements is respect to budget support include: the creation of a more comprehensive and accurate Medium Term Budget Framework (MTBF) for the education sector; maintenance of the increased education share of the overall spending budget, and of the agreed shares within that for primary education and instructional materials; an improved information strategy, completion of the outstanding teacher arrears payments, with further measures to prevent new accumulation of arrears; updating of the school staff establishments, based on new enrollment and staff in post headcount data; completion of the school facilities plan; and the review of the teacher supply and demand study, and preparation on that basis of an integrated teacher development financial plan.

The idea of liberalising teaching in lower primary (P1-P3) using first language and thereafter in English, is practically possible in rural schools but not in urban settings because of ethnic mix ups. Local languages are indeed gaining prominence and therefore facilitating learning and retention of those who have accessed primary schools to complete it. However, textbooks to be used in the teaching of these languages need to be developed urgently.

The situation could have been exacerbated by the shortage of textbooks, teachers' guides, learning media, scholastic materials, equipment and so on to support the curriculum. A number of teachers in the primary schools were untrained; and they could not implement instructions and assessment effectively. All these factors inter-played only to worsen the situation for quality primary education.

Realizing that basic education is essential for real development needs of the community and the nation and that quality education ought to be the attribute of basic education, Government agreed that a new curriculum embracing EFA principles, goals and targets should be designed, developed and produced for primary education. Government also agreed to improve and modernise teacher training programmes and to implement the Continuous Assessment system in a bid to improve learning achievements and outcomes.