More children, fewer teachers in schools

A 2002 World Bank report on the education sector says Uganda teachers are relatively well-qualified compared to the rest of Africa, with 29 per cent of those in secondary school having at least a graduate degree, and two per cent having post graduate degrees of some kind.

According to the latest government statistics, the secondary sector needs 40,759 teachers – with the number expected to grow as more children go to school.

The World Bank estimates that by 2012, the total secondary school enrolment will reach about 1.5 million.

The government, in its draft master development plan, Vision 2035, intends to reduce the teacher/pupil ratio in primary schools from 54:1 currently to 40:1 in 2035 and maintain the ratio in secondary schools at 20:1 by 2035.

With the government foreseeing a situation where it is likely to struggle to just maintain efficiency over the next 30 years, it is likely to take even longer before the government finally starts addressing quality issues.