Fragmented Digital Solutions Hamper Uganda's Education Sector Efficiency

The Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) in Uganda has struggled with the effective implementation of digital solutions aimed at improving the education sector. A prime example is the Teachers Effectiveness and Learner Achievement (TELA) tool, a biometric attendance system launched in FY 2023/2024 to combat teacher absenteeism. However, an Auditor General’s report revealed that TELA was only utilized by 32 percent of inspected schools, falling far short of its intended impact.

This underperformance is symptomatic of a larger problem: the MoES has developed numerous separate information systems over the years. These include the Education Management Information System (EMIS), the Teacher Management Information System (TMIS), TELA, a system for vocational institutions (TVET MIS), a school inspection tool (IIS), and an e-learning platform (ULEARN). Each system was often funded and developed independently to meet specific project deliverables rather than as part of a cohesive, ministry-wide information architecture.

This fragmentation leads to significant operational inefficiencies. For instance, teacher attendance data captured by TELA is not seamlessly integrated into TMIS for payroll verification or disciplinary actions, nor does it consistently feed into EMIS for national staffing data. Instead, despite TELA’s implementation, flagging teacher absences often requires manual follow-up, clogging information loops and delaying crucial decision-making processes.

In contrast, a pilot project adapting the health sector’s DHIS2 platform for school data in Gulu, Entebbe, and Ntungamo has shown promise. This initiative, supported by the GPE-backed KIX-SEEDS program, has trained over 200 educators and officials. Participants report a shift from guesswork to evidence-based decision-making, with precise data covering recruitment, teacher performance, school feeding, and support for learners with special needs.

The MoES’s new Digital Agenda Strategy (2025–2032) acknowledges this fragmentation and pledges to “streamline, review, rationalise and harmonise” its ICT initiatives. The true commitment to this strategy will be tested by the ministry’s willingness to consolidate these disparate systems and address the underlying structural and institutional challenges in the education sector.