Classrooms get sh59.9bn

This year's budget has allocated more money to education, especially the Universal Primary Education programme. But primary teachers still feel sidelined and the projected pupil:teacher ratio seems unrealistic. Education Vision's Joan Mugenzi reports THE budget read last week saw the continued support of Universal Primary Education (UPE), increase in Makerere University intake and abolition of cost-sharing in Primary Teacher Colleges (PTCs). In support of UPE, sh59.9bn has been provided for building classrooms. A new programme of classroom building funded by the African Development Bank, will add a further sh13.1bn. With this money, there is hope that an additional 7,090 classrooms will be built increasing the number of classrooms to 60,580. It is hoped that this will reduce the pupil:classroom ratio from 111:1 to 98:1 by June 2002. Last year, 6,317 classrooms were built, raising the number to 53,495 against the required 102,151. This marked a reduction in the pupil:classroom ratio to 111:1 from 128:1 in 1999. Another major priority is the recruitment of teachers. It is anticipated that the number of teachers in government primary schools will rise to 116,600, making an increase of 13, 200. If effected, this will result in a fall in the pupil: teacher ratio from the current 58 :1 to 51 :1. Last year provision was made for the recruitment of 15,308 primary school teachers bringing the the pupil:teacher ratio to 58:1 from 68:1 in 1999. However, this seems to be only on paper. What is on the ground tells an entirely different story. The pupil:teacher ration still stands at 111:1 in most UPE schools. For instance, a top Kampala UPE school has a pupil:teacher ratio in P5 at 90:1. While reading the budget Mr. Gerald Ssendaula, the Finance Minister said: "The recruitment of additional primary school teachers is key to ensuring improved quality in primary education." There is, however, no mention of how much money is designated for the recruitment of more teachers in schools. Teacher training continues to be a key strategy for ensuring quality education. To cater for the abolition of cost sharing, an additional sh4.7bn has been allocated to Primary Teacher Colleges (PTCs) to fully cover the non-wage costs. From the next fiscal year, all students enrolled in PTCs will be fully sponsored by government, covering 16,425 pre-service students and 8,000 in-service trainees. In the same light, the number of Makerere University's intake for the next academic year will be doubled to 4,000 students. A budgetary provision of sh6.4bn has been availed to cater for the additional 2,000 students. For the private students, government is providing sh0.2bn as a research grant, which will be accessed on a competitive basis. A sub county level schools' performance award was approved this year. This scheme rewards improvement in accountability, transparency and record keeping, promotion of girls education and Special Needs Education. Guidelines for the Primary Schools Performance Awards Scheme have been developed and sh800m has been budgeted for to cover the costs of the scheme next year. To absorb the growing numbers of P7 leavers, new programmes have been established in the post primary sub sector. Work on the bursary awards to deserving secondary students at sub county level is on-going. It is anticipated that the scheme will be fully operational by the end of next fiscal year and will be launched in time for the 2002 academic year. This year's budget also mentions funds for rehabilitation and building of secondary schools, and expansion of facilities, including vocational education. Sh5.2bn has been allocated to expand on secondary education opportunities in the 15 most educationally disadvantaged districts. The education budgetary allocation is impressive but teachers are not satisfied. They, say that they have not been adequately catered for. The 10% salary increment means a primary teacher will be earning sh100,000 from sh70,000. This is not much the teachers say. "In some cases teachers are getting salaries equivalent to domestic workers. There is no motivation whatsoever. I expected to see a serious increment but it looks like they do not consider our needs," says a teacher at Bat Valley Primary School. Rose Mukandori, the Buganda Road head, identifies with this teacher. "Unless they can really attract teachers and things are straight forward, I can see a danger for UPE in future. Some teachers have gone in for less prestigious jobs where they can get reasonable salaries," she says. Lawrence Nsereko of the Uganda National Union of Teachers, says: "This is a mockery to teachers. Earning sh100,000 where the cost of living has shot up is unrealistic. MPs get the same for foot stamping." Nsereko points out that the money that a teacher gets is not enough to meet even the basic needs. School management is getting tricky with utility rates like electricity shooting up. "Even with inflation, we have a fixed amount of money for UPE since 1997. Probably government should take over all the utility costs if UPE is to be effective," says Nsereko. ends