Free A’ level Education: Will the budget hold out?
Jun 14, 2011
WITH a budgetary allocation of sh1.4 trillion (including donor funds), the education sector has received one of the biggest shares of this year’s budget.
By Stephen Ssenkaaba
Education budget allocation over the last six years
2010/2011 - sh1.139 trillion
2009/2010 - sh1.079 trillion.
2008/2009 - sh899.3b
2007/2008 - sh900b
2006/2007 - sh720.26b
2005/2006 - sh633.43b
WITH a budgetary allocation of sh1.4 trillion (including donor funds), the education sector has received one of the biggest shares of this year’s budget.
This is perhaps a good reason to celebrate for the supporters and advocates of universal education for this year’s budget seemed to lay special emphasis on, as Maria Kiwanuka, the minister of finance put it, “Building on the Successes of Universal Primary and Secondary Education.â€
According to Kiwanuka, priority will be given to extending universal education to Advanced level and Business, Technical, Vocational and Education Training (BTVET) starting next year.
Apart from the funds given to the sector, an additional sh58.8b has been allocated to the universal A’ level project. There will also be a further sh20.3b, to cover the capitation grant under Universal Secondary Education.
Along with the above, a support structure has been proposed which will put in place the necessary facilities to support the proposed system and education in general. This includes physical infrastructure provision (allocated sh9.2b), personnel (sh12.9b) and inspection of schools (sh1.8b).
After the rolling out of Universal education at both the advanced secondary and the BTVET levels, free education has been completed. In other words it is has finally been spread out to all levels of education. While this, on paper, might sound like an accomplishment, a lot of work remains to be done to ensure that the vision hatched to provide education for all becomes a reality. As the situation stands, enormous challenges abound.
Laying the foundation; on what grounds?
Since its inception in 1997, universal education has received preferential financial treatment from the Government.
Indeed, after its introduction Universal Primary Education (UPE) has continued to receive a lion’s share (60%) of the education sector discretionary expenditure budget. The spending on universal education increased with the introduction of Universal Secondary Education (USE). Even though this was the case, free education continued to struggle.
With continued challenges low completion levels, poor performance of many universal education graduates and delayed delivery of funds to schools, the grounds upon which free education at advanced and BTVET levels is to be built leaves a lot to be desired. This, according to some observers, will have dire implications on the system.
“Given the difficult circumstances under which the Government has implemented both UPE and USE programs, the Government is likely to face problems in ensuring the successful implementation of universal education at A’ level,†says Samson Okwayo, a secondary school teacher.
Okwayo says the fact that the Government has found difficulty in financing UPE and USE programs over the last year means extending the programme to A’ level and BTVET institutions will be even harder to implement. And this will negatively impact the entire system.â€
Okwayo says unless plans are made to ensure timely delivery of funds, and establishment of proper conditions such as provision of scholastic materials, teachers and infrastructure, there will be problems as has been the case with universal free education for the last 14 years.
On a positive note however, Okwayo says the program is timely as it will ensure that the numerous students who have completed O’ level under free education scheme continue to the next level of education.
Professor Nuwagaba agrees that rolling out free education to A’ level is a move in the right direction especially as it will help many poor students continue to higher education.
His major concern however is the kind of skills that A’ level education is going to offer to the new entrants.
“More emphasis should be put on skills development through integrating theoretical education with vocational skills. This is where government should be spending more money,†he says.
Nuwagaba says free education as it will soon be rolled out to BTVET institutions should be used by the Government as an incentive to attract students to undertake courses that will equip them with the practical skills needed in the market.
“Unfortunately, many people still look down on vocational skills training as secondary to theoretical knowledge,†he adds.
Cooperation with private schools
As has been the case before, the Government might bring private schools on board in an arrangement that will see a certain number of selected private schools take up students at A’ level under the free education scheme.
According to Frank Muramura, the director of Kings Way schools, the scheme is good and should be fully supported by all schools. However, he says some private schools do not participate because of the way the Government releases money.
“The money comes very late, often, not the whole amount and sometimes nothing at all for an entire term. This makes it very hard to plan. With that track record, some private schools do not find it convenient to participate in the free education scheme,†Muramura explains.
He also wonders why some government aided schools are exempted from the program. “It is a government program, so why do they exempt some schools especially the top performing schools. Since the scheme is about ensuring good education, there is no reason why good government schools should be left out of the scheme.
Others private school heads expressed similar views. According to John Kaddu, the head teacher of Kawempe Royal College, this will be a welcome arrangement. However, he says, it will require timely facilitation and support for both government and private schools that will undertake the program.
One of the biggest challenges in the implementation of free education has been the delay in delivering of funds to schools, this often drags the program†he says. Adding that it will even be more critical in such times where school supplies have become more expensive and where the demands for scholastic materials, teachers and other facilities is very critical.
“There are few A’ level teachers, it will therefore be important that the Government recruits more teachers as free education will certainly stretch the numbers of students and therefore call for more teachers,†he says.
Kaddu argues that at this level, students need to attend seminars and workshops to be able to catch up with the demanding academic rigours of Advanced level education. “Unless these are taken into account, the program will encounter challenges.†he adds
Education budget allocation over the last six years
2010/2011 - sh1.139 trillion
2009/2010 - sh1.079 trillion.
2008/2009 - sh899.3b
2007/2008 - sh900b
2006/2007 - sh720.26b
2005/2006 - sh633.43b
WITH a budgetary allocation of sh1.4 trillion (including donor funds), the education sector has received one of the biggest shares of this year’s budget.
This is perhaps a good reason to celebrate for the supporters and advocates of universal education for this year’s budget seemed to lay special emphasis on, as Maria Kiwanuka, the minister of finance put it, “Building on the Successes of Universal Primary and Secondary Education.â€
According to Kiwanuka, priority will be given to extending universal education to Advanced level and Business, Technical, Vocational and Education Training (BTVET) starting next year.
Apart from the funds given to the sector, an additional sh58.8b has been allocated to the universal A’ level project. There will also be a further sh20.3b, to cover the capitation grant under Universal Secondary Education.
Along with the above, a support structure has been proposed which will put in place the necessary facilities to support the proposed system and education in general. This includes physical infrastructure provision (allocated sh9.2b), personnel (sh12.9b) and inspection of schools (sh1.8b).
After the rolling out of Universal education at both the advanced secondary and the BTVET levels, free education has been completed. In other words it is has finally been spread out to all levels of education. While this, on paper, might sound like an accomplishment, a lot of work remains to be done to ensure that the vision hatched to provide education for all becomes a reality. As the situation stands, enormous challenges abound.
Laying the foundation; on what grounds?
Since its inception in 1997, universal education has received preferential financial treatment from the Government.
Indeed, after its introduction Universal Primary Education (UPE) has continued to receive a lion’s share (60%) of the education sector discretionary expenditure budget. The spending on universal education increased with the introduction of Universal Secondary Education (USE). Even though this was the case, free education continued to struggle.
With continued challenges low completion levels, poor performance of many universal education graduates and delayed delivery of funds to schools, the grounds upon which free education at advanced and BTVET levels is to be built leaves a lot to be desired. This, according to some observers, will have dire implications on the system.
“Given the difficult circumstances under which the Government has implemented both UPE and USE programs, the Government is likely to face problems in ensuring the successful implementation of universal education at A’ level,†says Samson Okwayo, a secondary school teacher.
Okwayo says the fact that the Government has found difficulty in financing UPE and USE programs over the last year means extending the programme to A’ level and BTVET institutions will be even harder to implement. And this will negatively impact the entire system.â€
Okwayo says unless plans are made to ensure timely delivery of funds, and establishment of proper conditions such as provision of scholastic materials, teachers and infrastructure, there will be problems as has been the case with universal free education for the last 14 years.
On a positive note however, Okwayo says the program is timely as it will ensure that the numerous students who have completed O’ level under free education scheme continue to the next level of education.
Professor Nuwagaba agrees that rolling out free education to A’ level is a move in the right direction especially as it will help many poor students continue to higher education.
His major concern however is the kind of skills that A’ level education is going to offer to the new entrants.
“More emphasis should be put on skills development through integrating theoretical education with vocational skills. This is where government should be spending more money,†he says.
Nuwagaba says free education as it will soon be rolled out to BTVET institutions should be used by the Government as an incentive to attract students to undertake courses that will equip them with the practical skills needed in the market.
“Unfortunately, many people still look down on vocational skills training as secondary to theoretical knowledge,†he adds.
Cooperation with private schools
As has been the case before, the Government might bring private schools on board in an arrangement that will see a certain number of selected private schools take up students at A’ level under the free education scheme.
According to Frank Muramura, the director of Kings Way schools, the scheme is good and should be fully supported by all schools. However, he says some private schools do not participate because of the way the Government releases money.
“The money comes very late, often, not the whole amount and sometimes nothing at all for an entire term. This makes it very hard to plan. With that track record, some private schools do not find it convenient to participate in the free education scheme,†Muramura explains.
He also wonders why some government aided schools are exempted from the program. “It is a government program, so why do they exempt some schools especially the top performing schools. Since the scheme is about ensuring good education, there is no reason why good government schools should be left out of the scheme.
Others private school heads expressed similar views. According to John Kaddu, the head teacher of Kawempe Royal College, this will be a welcome arrangement. However, he says, it will require timely facilitation and support for both government and private schools that will undertake the program.
One of the biggest challenges in the implementation of free education has been the delay in delivering of funds to schools, this often drags the program†he says. Adding that it will even be more critical in such times where school supplies have become more expensive and where the demands for scholastic materials, teachers and other facilities is very critical.
“There are few A’ level teachers, it will therefore be important that the Government recruits more teachers as free education will certainly stretch the numbers of students and therefore call for more teachers,†he says.
Kaddu argues that at this level, students need to attend seminars and workshops to be able to catch up with the demanding academic rigours of Advanced level education. “Unless these are taken into account, the program will encounter challenges.†he adds