Education in Uganda

Structure of the Ugandan Education System

The existing structure of the education system in Uganda has been in force since the early 1960s. It consists of seven years of primary education followed by the lower secondary cycle of four years and the upper secondary cycle of two years, after which there are three to five years of university studies.

On successful completion of the primary school cycle, one can either join lower secondary school or take a three-year craft course in a technical school. However, only about 40% of the primary school graduates are absorbed into the secondary cycle, which implies that there are fewer schools than available students, presenting an investment opportunity to private investors.

\r\nSuccessful students completing lower secondary education have four possible outlets:

• Upper secondary school (Advanced Level);
• Technical institutes for a 2-3 year advanced craft course;
• Primary Teacher College (PTC) for a 2 year course; and
• Government's Department Training Colleges (DTCs).

Graduates of upper secondary have several options depending on their performance in advanced level examinations. They can join:

• University on private or government sponsorship;
• A National Teacher's College for a 2 year course;
• A College of Commerce;
• A Technical College;
• Department Training Colleges.

The important feature of the country's educational structure is its flexibility in permitting one to exercise their discretion in choosing a course of study, especially after completing upper secondary education.

The Education System in Uganda

The Educational system in Uganda consists of pre-primary, primary, secondary and post secondary or tertiary education.

Pre-primary Education

The demand for pre-primary education is still low and only about 10 percent of the total school going children pass through pre-primary schools. There has so far been lack of government control over this sector resulting into questionable trends regarding the content and quality of the curriculum, teaching methods, facilities, age of entry, quality of teachers and school charges to mention but a few.

Primary Education

The demand for primary education has radically increased with the introduction in 1997 of free primary education for four children in every family. This saw school enrolment increase from 2 million pupils in 1986 to over 6 millions pupils by 1999. There are variations however, between urban and rural areas with the former having more permanent schools and better teaching and instructional materials than the latter.

Secondary Education

This sector has witnessed a growth of over 20% in the number of government-aided secondary schools over the last 10 years and a 15% increase in the number of registered private secondary schools the same period. Still the sector is yet to attain the necessary capacity to cope with the large number of primary school leavers.

Post secondary Education