Uganda's education is steadily progressing in spite challenges

Feb 08, 2016

As a result of two decades of war and civil strife, the education system, especially at lower levels, suffered years of neglect.

By Sarah Kyobe

Like many other social services in Uganda, education too suffered devastation in the 1970s owing to civil strife and wars.

The infrastructure in educational institutions was run down and in addition, the country lost most of its trained manpower mainly to brain drain.

As a result of two decades of war and civil strife, the education system, especially at lower levels, suffered years of neglect. This resulted into poor quality, low enrolment, poor performance, low completion rate and a drop in sector share in the national budget.

When the NRA/M took over power an Education Policy Review Commission (EPRC) was set up in July 1987 to appraise the entire education system and recommend measures and strategies for improving the system. Among the recommendations was the introduction of universal primary education. The government White Paper committee accepted the major recommendation of (EPRC) on primary education. Key objective for UPE then were set such as maintaining quality education as basis for developing the necessary human resource. In 1997, free education was introduced in Uganda starting with Primary section. This gave chance to children from poor families to access education both in the urban and rural areas. The enrolment at primary school has dramatically risen from 2.9 million in 1986 to 5.4 million 1997. This rise continued and reached 6.5 million in 1999 and 6.8 million in 2000 and 8m 2010.

Education was decentralized for communities/grass root to participate in providing education. With decentralization, districts were given authority to formulate, approve and execute their own development plan. This gave room to central government to channel resources like monthly remittances for school, textbooks to the district administration. This brought schools closer to the administrative units. In 2007, Universal Secondary Education was introduced for secondary students who could not afford to join secondary after primary.

On University education, the number of universities has increased from one in 1986 to 30 universities to name a few Nkumba University, St. Lawrence University,Uganda Christian University,Uganda Martyrs University,Victoria University Uganda, Uganda Pentecostal University and Bishop Stuart University, Busoga University, Bugema University, Cavendish University Uganda, Islamic University in Uganda, Kampala International University, Kampala University andInternational University of East Africa.  The universities are not only providing education to Ugandans but also East Africans and beyond; as we speak, there over 35,000 Kenyan students in Uganda institutions of higher and lower learning.

There is ongoing renovation and construction of new schools to accommodate more students and improve the learning environment. Government acquired $100m to renovate 293 primary schools countrywide. Recently, 73 secondary schools received Capitation Development Grants towards construction and rehabilitation. 16 traditional schools that had lost their glory are being renovated for example Sir Samuel Baker and Teso College Aloet.

More so, 290 science laboratories have been constructed and completed; 442 schools were supplied with furniture; 768 water tanks were supplied and installed in 659 schools. 1,642 USE schools received 3,892,703 textbooks plus 5,215 science kits and 5,113 chemical kits to 1,362 schools.

Government also secured a loan worth $80m from Islamic Development Bank to construct 25 teacher training and technical institutions countrywide. Primary Teachers Colleges got libraries, laboratories, provision of science equipment, chemicals, and professional development programs for tutors, principals, and; deputy principals including the trainers of science teachers.922 Head Teachers were trained in management and pedagogical leadership.

There over 11 million students in schools - primary, secondary, tertiary and university. The literacy rate has risen from 43% in 1986 to 75% today. There is a total of 1,078 government secondary schools distributed across 971 sub-counties across the country. However, literacy and numeracy must be accompanied by technical skills. With the improvement in education the quality of Uganda's population has improved since more people can read and write.

The writer works with Uganda Media Centre

 

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