education 8 April 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Over 60% of Ugandan Children Miss Pre-Primary Education, Study Warns
A new ISER study reveals that more than 60% of children aged 3-5 in Uganda lack access to pre-primary education, with only 9% in licensed nursery schools, hindering their future academic success. Experts call for government-led reforms to bridge urban-rural gaps and boost early learning investment. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/education/-60-of-children-miss-out-on-pre-primary-education--5416408
A recent report by the Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER) exposes a critical gap in Uganda’s early childhood education, where over 60 percent of children aged three to five miss out on pre-primary schooling. Just 9 percent attend licensed nursery schools, leaving most young learners at a disadvantage.
Access remains skewed, with facilities clustered in urban zones and favoring affluent families. Rural and low-income children are largely sidelined, compounded by stark fee differences—from Shs1.75 million per term in Kampala to Shs5,000 in Nakapiripirit.
ISER Executive Director Angella Nabwowe Kasule stressed that skipping nursery school sets children back, causing late starts, struggles in primary grades, and higher dropout risks leading to child labor or early marriages. She advocates amending the Education Act for government funding and provision.
Neighboring Kenya offers free pre-primary education, while Tanzania integrates it into public primaries. Uganda’s Education Policy Review Commission pushes for 7% GDP education spending to enhance outcomes.
Ministry officials, including Dr. Safinah Mutumba, outline plans for community centers in UPE schools, subsidies in underserved areas, better teacher training, and potential legal changes to attach pre-primary units to all government primaries.
Stakeholders like National Planning Authority’s Maxwell Odongo link poor early education to Uganda’s 38% productivity rate, urging phased rollouts starting in regions like Karamoja and Bukedi. Buikwe’s Julius Musasizi highlights its role in boosting school progression.
Source: Daily Monitor