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Education in Uganda

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Students in Uganda
Kimberly Burns/USAID · Public domain

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Primary education

The present system of education, known as Universal Primary Education (UPE), has existed since 1997, and its introduction was the result of democratization and open elections, as there was popular support for free education. Despite its promising boosts in enrolment, issues with funding and organization have continued to plague the UPE. In 1999 there were six million pupils receiving primary education, compared to only two million in 1986. Numbers received a boost in 1997 when free primary education was made available to four children per family. Not all primary school graduates go on to take any form of secondary education. This is contingent upon their passing their Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE).

Uganda is one of East Africa's developing countries, bordered by Tanzania, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, and Kenya. It occupies 236,040 square kilometres (91,140 mi2) and has 26,404,543 people. According to CIA World Fact Book 2004, more than 80 percent of its population is rural and 35% of the people lives below poverty line. The United Nations characterized the current condition of Uganda with its unstable government and struggling people as "the world’s worst humanitarian crisis."

In 1997 the Ugandan government introduced the Universal Primary Education (UPE) program to improve enrollment and attainment in primary schools. It was initially realized to provide free education for four children per family, but the program was not performing based in its regulations due to the complex structure of Ugandan families. Most Ugandan families have more than four children and households started sending every child, which resulted in a rapid increase in student enrollment in primary schools. Due to the circumstances, President Museveni announced that the UPE was open to all children of all families (Omona 74). When the new policy was executed, schools experienced a massive influx of pupils and the demand for learning materials, teachers, and infrastructure became a challenge to the education system. Ngaka argues that the UPE resulted in costly consequences, including but not limited to a poor quality education, low pupil achievement, untrained teachers, improper infrastructures and classroom settings. The Human Rights Measurement Initiative gives Uganda a score of 92.3% for primary school enrolment.

Uganda has seven years of primary education and the legal age for school entry is six. According to the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) statistics, school enrollments increased from three million to 5.3 million in 1997 and the number rapidly increased to seven million by 2004. Even though the increased number of pupils was perceived as a good thing, there were only 125,883 teachers, exceeding the UPE required pupil-teacher ratio of 1:40. The large number of pupils makes the learning environment poorer as it becomes harder for the teacher to be heard and teach. According to Arbeiter and Hartley, classes have between 70 and 150 pupils and there is over-age studying in all schools. Moyi explains the issue of many classes having the inappropriate age of pupils as having been driven by late enrolment or grade repetition, which in turn is caused by the poor quality of education. For instance, “third grade included pupils aged between seven to sixteen years and in sixth grade there were pupils up to nineteen years of age."

Disability Education

Uganda has established several policies and laws that support the inclusion and education of people with disabilities. In 1994, Uganda signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities under UNESCO, committing to inclusive education for students with disabilities. Inclusion is a central idea in Uganda's reform agenda, as outlined in the National Vision 2040. For children, inclusion means full participation in education regardless of physical, intellectual, social, emotional, linguistic, or other needs. However, progress toward fully inclusive education by 2040 remains uncertain. The People with Disabilities Act of 2006 and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) 2008, particularly Article 24, guarantee equal rights to education for children with disabilities. The Uganda Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) Act of 2007 was also enacted to ensure compliance with equality requirements. About 15 percent of Ugandans have a disability, leading the government to prioritize disability issues across all sectors. In 2015, the National Disability Inclusive Planning Guidelines were introduced to coordinate inclusion efforts for people with disabilities. However, despite clear policies, significant implementation challenges persist.

The Universal Primary Education (UPE) policy, introduced in 1997, expanded access to primary education for children in Uganda. Inclusion is defined as "to enable everyone to learn and grow, and work together in regular schools, irrespective of their backgrounds.” Although UPE aimed to include students with disabilities, its impact has been limited. Disparities in educational access persist between children with and without disabilities. Even after policy revisions, opportunities for children with disabilities remain inconsistent, especially among low-income families. While UPE provides free education, families must still cover costs such as uniforms, meals, and transportation. The policy does not fund accommodations for students with disabilities, such as accessible infrastructure, transportation, alternative-format textbooks, or assistive devices. As a result, parents often prioritize schooling for children without disabilities when resources are limited, leading to the exclusion of children with disabilities from education. “Recent reports suggest that while enrollment numbers have increased under UPE, children with special needs in the central region experience higher dropout rates and poorer academic outcomes compared to their peers.”

While general child-centered methods are common in primary schools, specialized teaching strategies to support students with disabilities are underutilized. “Inclusive education in Uganda is fragmented and under-resourced.” Barriers to inclusive primary education include limited teacher motivation and cooperation, especially in overcrowded classrooms. Some teachers struggle to see the benefits of inclusive practices. Schools often adjust expectations for students with disabilities due to inaccessible materials and insufficient teacher training, with adjustments varying by disability type. Effective inclusion requires adequate teacher training, access to specialized curricula and resources, and physically accessible schools and classrooms.

Although Uganda’s policies support inclusive education for students with disabilities, significant barriers persist for schools, teachers, families, and students. The need for improved school management practices to align with UPE policy implementation is critical. Inconsistent implementation across the country undermines expectations that students with disabilities will not only attend school alongside their peers without disabilities but also fully participate in society beyond the classroom.

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