Education highlights that marked the year 2009

Dec 22, 2009

RIDING on emotions, he promises heaven on earth but at the last minute, fails to deliver. Like a snail, he coils when things fall apart, albeit with no apologies. Who would relish or dream of being this kind of husband?

By Joel Ogwang

RIDING on emotions, he promises heaven on earth but at the last minute, fails to deliver. Like a snail, he coils when things fall apart, albeit with no apologies. Who would relish or dream of being this kind of husband?

But this was the murky face the education sector wore at the beginning of the year. At its peak, though, one scandal after the other rocked it, denying it the dream husband status in a home.

The lows

The year went to bed with the scandal involving F.X Lubanga, the education ministry permanent secretary, over nepotism, malicious dismissals and abuse of office.

The allegations were labelled by a whistle-blower who sent a dossier, listing 30 workers related to Lubanga, to President Yoweri Museveni. The Government has instituted investigations into the allegations.

Tuition hike
A 40% tuition fees hike was slapped on all public universities — Makerere, Kyambogo, Mbarara, Busitema and Gulu for new private-sponsored students in the 2009/10 academic year. Students challenged the increment, staging strikes in protest. However, the Government rejected the reversal of the hike.
MUBS also hiked retake fees from sh6,000 to sh195, 000, drawing a series of protests from students.

Delay in capitation grants disbursement

The Parliamentary Social Services Committee grilled education and finance ministers over delayed disbursement of capitation grants to schools under UPE.

Namirembe Bitamazire (education) and Rukia Chekamondo (state privatisation) and Kamanda Bataringaya (primary education) were tasked to answer why schools did not get the money in second term.
It was discovered that these inadequacies arose due to reforms instituted by the ministry that required release of funds on a quarterly basis.

‘Ghost’ losses

The Government continued to incur losses in ‘ghost’ scams, with sh2b paid out, inspite of a communication to all chief administrative officers of a 25% reduction in UPE funding.
Out of sh9.3b for the first quarter of the 2009/10 fiscal year, only sh7.6b was supposed to be sent. However, the finance ministry paid all districts 100%.

Bitamazire’s nightmare continued when MPs asked why her ministry shied away from a sh3.5b project to oversee the formation of patriotism clubs in 5,000 secondary schools in the country. Apparently, the President’s office, and not the Ministry of Educations will run the scheme.

Candidates fail

A total of 2,562 candidates failed the 2008 primary teachers’ exams. Out of 11,658 who registered, 21 passed with distinctions, while 7,608 got credit passes. In 2008, out of 11,063 candidates, only three got distinctions, 5,991 passed with credits whilst 1,467 got passes, with the overall percentage pass being 67.4%.

Substandard secondary schools

A study done by Afroeducare Uganda, established that 1, 740 (84%) of7 private schools are substandard. The study noted that overall, private schools performed poorly.

To classify the secondary schools, 10 indicators of quality were used: vision, mission and motto, learning programmes offered, co-curricular programmes, credible proprietors, financial sustainability and adequate infrastructure. No private school in Uganda qualified to be ranked as ‘five star’ while only nine qualified as ‘four star’.

Makerere’s perimeter wall

David Bakibinga, the former Makerere University deputy vice-chancellor for finance and Sam Akorimo, the secretary, were quizzed over a sh2b wall fence that collapsed before completion. The varsity had hired Compliant Engineering and Trade to construct the perimeter fence at sh619m, but the cost shot to sh2b.

Arsonist attacks

From the death of 20 in Buddo Junior School pupils in an inferno in 2008, fires continued wrecking schools in the country in 2009. These include Crown City High SSS, part of St. Lawrence Schools and Crane High School, Kitintale.

Costly university education

The cost of living in public universities continued to rise. At Makerere, sh5m is needed for upkeep. A student pursuing the cheapest course needs atleast sh2.5m in a semester of four months.
This covers registration fees, tuition, scholastics, accommodation, functional fees, food and upkeep.
About 8,525 students were admitted on the private scheme for the 2009/ 10 academic year.

The highs

The end of year scandals did not summarily reflect the education sector’s position. It however recorded a new syllabus.

A new syllabus

Through the Curriculum Development Centre, the ministry designed a new syllabus for P4 and P5 starting 2010.

Its content is projected to be simpler and to introduce pupils to the basics of English. It will also be used when handling special needs for pupils. Teachers are expected to teach hard concepts in vernacular. Basic English that used to be taught from P1-P3 will be taught in P4.

The curriculum provides for seven subjects, English, mathematics, Social Studies, Religious Education, Integrated Science, Local Languages, Creative Arts and Physical Education.

Commission of inquiry
The Government also instituted a judicial commission to investigate the utilisation of funds, ghost teachers and students in all schools in Uganda. The process of disbursing education funds to districts and schools, including its use and adequacy, will be investigated.

The commission, headed by High Court judge, Ezekiel Muhanguzi, will also investigate causes of absenteeism, private schools suspected of using fake licenses and utilisation of funds in the construction of government schools.

Government rolled-out Universal Secondary Education to cover Senoir Four and completed the cycle for lower secondary education.

New Makerere head

The year also witnessed the vacation of Prof. Livingstone Luboobi from the Makerere University vice-chancellorship. In-came Prof. Venasius Baryamureeba, 40.

The stakes are high on him, considering that he was chosen because of his youthfulness and needs to have ‘young blood’ run the University. It remains to be seen if he can turn around the fortunes of the former “ivory Tower’’.

Improved ranking

Makerere’s ranking improved among top African Universities to 32 from 59 in July 2008.

The January Web of the World Universities Webometrics saw Makerere’s position among the world’s best jumping from 7,836 to 4,836 in six months.

Her position was 18th when the first grading was published in 2004. It slipped to 23rd in 2005 and 24th in 2006. It remained the only university graded in Uganda.
The education ministry also transferred 70 head teachers and 300 teachers in government-aided secondary schools to boost their performance.

This followed a string of reshuffles, with 100 head teachers and 500 teachers transferred in December 2007.

Districts perform better

In February, the national exams regulator, UNEB, released results of the 2008 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE), where 57,510 students qualified for university enrollment while 27,000 failed.

Of the 89,921 candidates, who sat UACE, 65% got principal passes up from 63.7% in 2007. Kamuli topped the list of districts that recorded a high out-turn of students under the merit-based government sponsorship scheme.

Out of 2,562 admissions, 354 (14%) indicated Kamuli as their home district. Wakiso followed with 262 (10.2%). What was surprising was Moroto emerging third, with 170 students (6.6%). Others are: Busia (5.4%), Rukungiri (4.8%), Kabala (3.1%), Nakasongola (2.8%), Palisa and Kaberamaido (2.5%) and Kyenjojo (3.1%).
Five of the top 10 districts were from eastern Uganda, three from the western region and two from the central. At position 22, Kitgum was the first northern district.
Mt. St. Mary’s Namagunga underlined its name as one of the country’s best schools, taking the mantle out of 90 schools.

The school registered 113 As, 89 Bs, 22 Ds, 3 Es, and 4 Os from 75 candidates who sat A’ Level exams.
Uganda Martyr’s Senior Secondary School, King’s College, Buddo and St. Mary’s College, Kisubi followed.

New government projects

In her maiden budget speech, Syda Bbumba, the finance minister, said the Government received a $150m loan (about sh282b) from the World Bank and $80m (sh149b) from the African Development Bank (ADB) to improve infrastructure in Universal Secondary Education schools countrywide.

Below are some of the
facilities to be built.
  • 6,200 new classrooms will be constructed in over 500 schools

  • 2,300 five-stance latrines
  • 405 multi-purpose science rooms

  • 144 libraries

  • Completion of 1,900 half-built classrooms in 400 schools

  • Purchase 1.7m text books and 6,300 science kits for both government and private schools

  • Expand 12 schools and construct 15 new ones

  • Construct 450 laboratories, 2,600 libraries and 41 teachers’ houses in three years starting March 2010-2012

  • Rehabilitate 42
    traditional schools and two business technical vocational institutes

  • Over sh21.7b in School facilities grants to construct latrines, a ‘black-spot’ in schools, with sh2.5b earmarked for inspection.

  • Government will continue training 10,000 teachers annually through its 45 primary teachers colleges and five public universities.


  • All these projects are intended to improve access, quality and efficiency in delivery of post-primary education.

    They will ensure a modernising curriculum examination, teacher training and development of a national vocational and technical
    education. The scheme will also benefit private secondary schools that partnered with the public ones to
    implement the free-secondary education scheme.

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