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Uganda
hits universal primary education target
By Dan Elwana,
The East African Newspaper, Kampala, Uganda |
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 Started
three years ago, Uganda's strategy of free education for all
- the Universal Primary Education (UPE) - is beginning to pay
off. The enrolment rate has increased as more children go to
school throughout the country. |
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"I
am happy that I am now able to send my four children to school.
I only pay for their uniform and sometimes exercise books. This
system will help the people of my area", says Vincent Oyat,
who earns a living from cultivating simsim and fishing on the
shores of Lake Kyoga in Apac District. His children go to a
nearby school, some three kilometres away from his home. |
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The
UPE was introduced in Uganda in January 1997 as part of a government
policy to provide free primary education to four children in
every family, including orphaned and disabled children. With
the introduction of the UPE Uganda hopes that this policy will
have an enormous impact on the future of education in Uganda. |
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In
launching the programme, Uganda was conscious of the financial
implications of the scheme and the need to provide basic quality
education. The overwhelming response nationwide posed some
challenges concerning staffing, teaching and learning materials.
Enrolment figures have risen from 2.5 million in 1997 to 6.5
million to date.
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In
some parts of the Central regions of Uganda, the response was
so high that some classes had to be conducted under trees. In
urban centres, government-aided schools have equally overwhelming
enrolment figures, which have raised questions from opposition
politicians on the quality of education. |
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Ugandan
education and policy makers are convinced that with this kind
of response, a framework is needed to re-direct efforts for
the challenges ahead. Thus, it developed an Education Sector
Investment Plan (ESIP) for the period 1997 to 2003. The plan
was approved in December 1998. The government says this plan
was founded upon the 1992 government White Paper on the Education
Policy Review Commission Report. |
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Uganda's
President Yoweri Museveni, who is a strong advocate of the UPE
programme which he used in his campaign strategy during the
1996 presidential elections, says it will help in eradicating
poverty. The argument is that the ESIP provides a framework
for investment to enable this vision to be realized through
the education sector. |
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The
results of the UPE have partly been due to relentless efforts
at political level to educate parents on the benefits of free
primary education. Local Resident District Commissioners (RDC's)
and District Education Officers (DEO's) have been the focus
of the implementation of the programme and ensuring its success
at village level. Other local leaders agree that the programme
has to be closely monitored for full benefits to all. |
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Uganda
now faces three main challenges: Access, equity and efficiency.
The target is, therefore, to expand the education sector to
accommodate more learners and eliminate disparities in terms
of access and performance with special emphasis on removing
gender and regional imbalances. Uganda has also taken due considered
in the expansion of secondary education and other sub-sectors
to absorb primary school dropouts. |
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Although
grants have been sent from the central government to districts
primarily for the UPE, the amount of interest it has generated
has involved parents in school constructions, brick-making and
provision of land for expansion. Besides expanding the classrooms
from 52,000 and another 12,000 to be completed before the end
of the year, Uganda also aims to have a textbook to pupil ratio
of 1:1. |
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Emphasis
has also been laid on in-service training for teachers to equip
them with skills to provide quality education. As for secondary
education, the aim is to have one secondary school in every
sub-county. |
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Against
the background of an expanded UPE programme and increased enrolment,
Uganda plans to construct 850 community polytechnics to provide
basic technical skills to primary school dropouts. Vocational
and higher education sub-sectors are also included under the
ESIP. Although no specific budget has been set aside, the government
says it has earmarked some funds for refurbishing existing polytechnics
and higher institutions to complement the programme. |
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As
a sign of commitment to its education for all policy, government
expenditure increased by 30 per cent from USh44 billion in 1996
to USh136 billion in 1998. As of March 1999, USh6.22 billion
had been disbursed for primary school construction in eight
districts of Kabarole, Bugiri, Pallisa, Kiboga, Arua, Moyo,
Nebbi and Adjumani. |
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Support
funds for Uganda's UPE programme have come from the World Bank,
the Netherlands government, The United States Agency for International
Development (USAID), Denmark and Britain. |
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