Uganda

1. Uganda Katie Kehoegreen Master’s Program: Educational Technology

2. Purpose of Presentation Impact of the Universal Primary Education (UPE) initiative on schools in Uganda, including in poor areas and on the quality of education before and after implementation.

3. Background • UPE was launched in 1997 as a result of the: • Education Policy Review Commission (EPRC, 1989), • stipulations of the GoU White Paper (1992), • Development of the Children‘s Statute (1996).

4. Objectives of UPE • Objectives of UPE were: • Establishing, providing and maintaining quality education as the basis for promoting the necessary human resource development, • Waiver of tuition fees and development charges, • providing the minimum necessary facilities and resources to enable children enter and remain in school and complete the primary cycle of education, • making basic education accessible to the learner and relevant to his / her needs as well as meeting national goals, • making education accessible in order to eliminate disparities and ensuring that education is affordable by the majority of Ugandans. • Enrollment of all children of school going age • Training, recruitment and paying of teachers’ salaries • Meeting daily school requirements by providing cash and resources • Eliminated the cost of primary education for up to four children per household • integrate students with disabilities, a group historically ignored, into regular education classrooms • (Kabesiime, 337, Juuko & Kabonesa, p. 9, Deininger, 292, Arebeiter &Hartley, 61).

5. Prior to UPE • Primary enrollment rates in Africa are fell between 1980 and 1990 and African governments focused more on secondary and higher levels of education than to primary education. (Merhotra & Vandermoortele, 1997; Deininger, 291) • Little was known on the extent to which a “re-orientation of public spending towards basic education could have an impact in terms of attendance and quality of outcomes for the poor, in particular the extent to which cost reductions may help to increase attendance by low-income groups” (Deininger, 292). • Parents had to pay school fees and were expected to provide money for their child’s supplies including textbooks, uniforms, and contribute money towards building funds. The cost of school was stated as being one of the top reasons for not sending their children to school. (Elwana, p. 22) • Student teacher ratio is 37:1 in 1996. (Elwana, p. 23)

6. Impact of UPE • Since 1996 enrollment in Ugandan schools went from 2.3 million to 6.5 million primary school children. Expenditure on education rose by forty percent in the first year of UPE. (Elwana, 22) • UPE led to dramatic increase in enrollment. This supports the idea that cost of schooling, especially for girls who had a significant increase in enrollment, was one of the main causes for not attending school. The inequalities in Uganda that existed between gender, income, and region were reduced with the implementation of UPE. The amount of money paid by parents decreased at the primary levels (although not at the secondary levels) (Deininger, p. 291-2). • At the same time, note marked improvements in schooling infrastructure, (Deininger, 292). • Reduction of fees for primary education, “program of dissemination, decentralization, awareness building and mobilization at the local level” led to increases in primary attendance by the poor and by girls. (Deininger, 303)

7. Partnering with NGOS • NGOs(Non-Governemtn Orgnaizations) and churches are partnering with the govermentment. • NGOs and Churches previosuly uused funds to pay for student fees so they could attend school. • Now they are using these to pay for classroom construction, teaching training, and providing materials for students. (Elwana, 23).

8. Resulting Difficulties • New problems arose with the implementation of UPE • These included a decrease in the quality of education students received. This was due to the additional pressures put on the schools by the increasing enrollment. • There were not enough resources for the students, including lack of teachers, classroom, and school supplies. (Deininger, p. 291).

9. Student-Teacher Ratio • This increase in students led to student–teacher ratios that are among the highest in the world. • The official student: teacher ratio is 63:1. In some instances there are 80 to 120 students in one classroom with 2-3 teachers, giving a ratio of 1:40 teachers to students . • These high teacher-student ratios led to “insufficient space,…insufficient furniture and teaching aids, and…difficulties in class control.” These difficulties lead to situations where in 1999, about one quarter of the participating students failed to pass final examinations in primary school (Deininger, p. 292, Arebeiter & Hartley, p. 68, 73,Elwana, 23).

10. Role of Girls Education in UPE • An issue is that in Uganda, girls are traditionally seen to learn domestic skills while boys learn occupational skills (therefore leading to schooling). • With limited funding, boys are given a priority over girls to attend school and girls face educational discrimination at both a household and community level. • Kabesiime () argues “disadvantaged girls from lower social economic family background and the northern part of Uganda” have not been made apart of UPE and therefore are not receiving education as they should. • Instead “the policy has helped the already advantaged girls from urban areas, central and western parts of the country as well as those from high social economic family backgrounds.” (Kabesiime, 342, 326). 

11. However, parents in Uganda understood how important it is to educate girls but lack enough money for girls‘ education. (Kabesiime, 335) • Additionally, the Ugandan government is working towards eliminating gender disparities bias in education and want to achieve gender equity by 2015 “with focus on assuring girls‘ full and equitable access to and achievement of basic quality education” and “massive publicity campaigns, especially for girls’ schooling, were undertaken” (Kabesiime, 336; Deininger, 292).

12. Amazima Ministries • http://amazima.org/ • Amazima Ministries was founded in 2008 by Katie Davis, an 18year-old from Tennessee. Amazima means “Truth” and has many components including Educational Sponsorship, Vocational Training, and Community Outreach. • Amazima Ministries, and specifically the Educational Sponsorship program, began when Katie noticed parents leaving their children outside orphanages, not because they didn’t want them but because they knew the orphanage would provide shelter, food, and education for the child. • The educational program is called the Ma • four slides on projects in these nations that are helping schools or society the way you would like to

13. Uganda Humanist Schools Trust • http://www.ugandahumanistschoolstrust.org/ • The Uganda Humanist Schools Trust was established in November 2008 as a charity to raise funds to support the efforts of Ugandan Humanists. • This trust founded three secondary schools, and additionally supports many primary schools with funding and resources. • These schools provide students with access to water, daily meals, books, and athletic opportunities.

14. The Kasiisi Project • http://www.kasiisiproject.org/ • The Kasiisi Project takes a “holistic approach to helping schools be effective” seeking to ensure that students are “healthy and well-fed, have happy and well-trained teachers and safe and comfortable classrooms, have access to proper school supplies like books and pencils, and have the chance to enjoy sports, art, dance and music.” • Kasiisi Project schools outperform like schools by twenty percent and many of their students go on to college.

15. Helping Uganda Schools (HUGS) • http://www.helpingugandaschools.org/ • HUGS is describes as a “no overhead charity” that would to bring “education and skills development to the very youngest and to mature students in Uganda and Rwanda.” • A central tenant is their belief that education is the key to solving these countries problems.

16. The Future of Ugandan Education • Focus on increasing students enrollment in secondary education • Making secondary education less expensive through Universal Secondary Education initiative launched in 2007. • There may be a shortage of secondary schools and pressures on the secondary schools as there are on primary schools now as the increasing number of primary school graduates go on to secondary school. • Although there is government financial support, there are additional fees which greatly outweigh this government support leading students to still be unable to afford secondary education.

17. Marginalized Groups • More marginalized groups and areas will see an increase in educational opportunities and support as the government reaches towards its goal of providing education for all students. • Girls’ enrollment in primary education will continue to increase as it becomes more socially acceptable and there becomes a stronger movement towards educating girls. • There needs to be an increase in government support of devastated areas such as Northern Uganda, will continue to be devastated and fall behind economically and educationally the rest of Uganda.

18. Increasing Primary Education Quality • Teacher requirements, standards that students must meet higher level of testing. • Change in teaching methods to teacher centered to student centered as well as more group, interactive learning that plays well with larger groups of students. • With this change there will also be a change from a focus on passing examinations to students gaining individual knowledge. • Additionally, a shift away from the “banking” method of teaching to a method where problem solving, discussion, and student engagement is valued. (Kelly, 4). • Methods of discipline must be improved, from corporal punishments to logical consequences in which the student is able to explain their side and take action in a way that resolves the situation.

19. Bibliography • Amazima Ministries. (2013). Retrieved from http://amazima.org/ • Arebeiter, S. & Hartley, S. (2002). Teachers’ and Pupils’ Experiences of Integrated Education in Uganda. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 49 (1), 61-78. • Deininger, K. (2003). Does cost of schooling affect enrollment by the poor? Universal primary education in Uganda. Economics of Education Review 22, 291–305 • Elwana, D. (March 2000). Uganda’s Full Benches. The UNESCO Courier. 22-23. • Helping Uganda Schools. (2013). Retrieved from: http://www.helpingugandaschools.org/ • Juuko, F.W. &Kabonesa, C (2007) Universal Primary Education (UPE) in Contemporary Uganda. HURIPEC Working Paper. • Kabesiime, M. (). Schooling Ugandan Girls. Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies, 8 (1), 325-360. • Kasiisi Project. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.kasiisiproject.org/ • Kelly. P.P. (2011). Democratic Education Only for Some Secondary Schooling in Northern Uganda. International Journal of Education, 3 (1), 1-21. • Uganda Humanist Schools Trust. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.ugandahumanistschoolstrust.org/

20. Images • Slide 1: Ministry of Education and Sport. (2013). http://www.education.go.ug • Slide 12: http://amazima.org/ • Slide 13:http://www.ugandahumanistschoolstrust.org/ • Slide 14: http://www.kasiisiproject.org/ • Slide 15:http://www.helpingugandaschools.org/