The World Bank has raised concerns over Uganda's sustained underinvestment in public education, a trend it says has persisted over the last decade.

In its latest Economic Update about the economy, the global financial institution noted that Uganda's expenditure on education consistently falls below international benchmarks and lags behind average spending levels observed in neighbouring East African countries.

“Uganda’s public education spending has been consistently low in recent decades, falling well below international benchmarks and average expenditures in other East African countries. Policies aimed at ensuring universal access to primary and secondary schooling have greatly expanded education opportunities,” the World Bank said in the report.

“However, the government will need to increase public spending on education to achieve its goals while keeping pace with population growth, as households still bear a disproportionate share of the burden of education financing.”

“Most children enrol in primary education, but completion rates are low, and learning outcomes are poor. The rate of grade repetition at the primary level is high—especially in the first grade—due mainly to the under-provision of early childhood education. Most children leave school before completing secondary education.”

Recently, the Minister of Education and Sports Minister Janet Kataaha Museveni called for collaborative efforts to address the worrying issue of school dropouts in the country.

“Why is the boy child not completing primary education? We need to prescribe solutions that address the fundamental causes to prevent this negative trend from getting out of control,” she said.