Education in Uganda

As in many under-developed countries, teaching materials are conspicuous by their absence.

In 1997 President Museveni committed to providing universal primary education. Until that time only those who could afford school fees were able to attend any kind of school. In the last ten years facilities have been built for 4,000,000 students, but the operating budgets are skimpy.

In the government school in Kibaire there are 411 students and only 6 teachers (70 students per teacher). The school is established for eight teachers, but the lack of staff quarters makes it difficult to hire more. The materials allocation for the entire school is no more than $60 per month. An assembly hall is desired. There are not enough latrines. Teachers have no teacher guides to tell them what to teach, and the students have no books.

School uniforms are pretty much universal. A few dollars buy the material at the village market, and few more pay the front-step tailor and his treadle sewing machine to turn out a very good product. Children walk miles to and from school, often along roads that are travelled by vehicles going 60 m.p.h. or more.

Not surprisingly, the rural schools are not meeting the academic standards expected by the government.

Secondary schools require fees, and rural students have to board. Universities do not hand out degrees until all the university fees have been paid, often only $600 per year. Faculty at Makerere University in Kampala is complaining because the administration is raiding the retirement fund in order to meet operating expenses.