education 25 March 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Uganda's Education Boom Meets High Dropout Crisis
Uganda's primary school enrolment surged after Universal Primary Education began in 1997, but completion rates have stagnated or declined due to dropouts, underfunding, and infrastructure woes. A recent Unesco report highlights this paradox, urging tailored policies to keep students in school. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/education/high-entry-high-dropout-uganda-s-education-paradox-5403492
Uganda faces a stark contradiction in its education system: soaring enrolment numbers paired with persistently low completion rates. According to the 2026 Unesco Global Education Monitoring Report, primary enrolment jumped from 3.1 million in 1996 to 7.6 million by 2003 following the abolition of school fees under Universal Primary Education (UPE). Yet, many students never finish, with completion rates failing to match these gains.
The report, drawing on data from 2015 onward, notes that progress stalled after initial boosts. Primary net enrolment dropped from 78% in 2015 to 73% in 2021, while the share of 6-12-year-olds never attending school rose from 8% to 15%. By 2024, only 10% of 14-year-olds reached Grade 7, down from 13% in 2020. Girls saw slight primary completion gains from 53% to 59%, but boys declined from 61% to 58%.
Challenges abound, including dilapidated infrastructure, overcrowded classrooms (ratios up to 107:1 in some regions), and teacher shortages despite policy efforts like automatic promotion, ended in 2026. Repetition rates averaged 11% from 2000-2017, and students often take primary exams at ages 15-17 instead of 12.
Financing is a core issue, with public education spending at just 9% of the budget—far below the 20% target. Government capitation grants fall short, pushing schools to charge illegal fees, cited by 60% of households as a dropout reason. Decentralisation has hindered reforms due to limited financial autonomy at district levels.
Experts like Unatu’s Filbert Baguma blame underfunding for teacher unrest and poor quality. The National Private Education Institutions Association plans an independent study on dropouts. Unesco stresses multi-faceted solutions like school feeding, cash transfers boosting enrolment by 36%, and electrification, proven effective elsewhere.
Globally, 273 million children are out of school, with sub-Saharan Africa lagging due to population growth and crises. Yet, hope persists: worldwide primary-secondary enrolment rose 30% since 2000.
Source: Daily Monitor