Cabinet approves Shs1.4 trillion to fix UPE gaps
NTV news anchor Andrew Kyamagero (left) and an official from Keddi Foundation, a charity organisation, give out scholastic materials to pupils of Buwuma Primary School in Namisindwa District on July 31. In Kibuku District, pupils are quitting government-aided school because parents are being charged extra fees. Photo/Kolyangha Mudangha
What you need to know:
- Records at the Education ministry indicate that currently, the country has a total of 12,433 UPE schools, with 136,819 teachers and 8,624,264 learners. Once the proposed recruitment is effected, it is anticipated that the number of primary school teachers in UPE schools will rise to 215,707, and reduce the teacher-learner ratio from the current 1: 53 to 1 teacher to 40 learners(1:40).
Cabinet has approved more than Shs1.4 trillion in additional funding to the government’s Universal Primary Education programme.
First Lady Janet Kataha, who is also the Education minister, presented the request for additional UPE funding to enable the government to recruit more than 70,000 teachers and fix other challenges in the programme.
Dr Dennis Mugimba, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Education and Sports, yesterday confirmed the development and explained that about 78,888 primary teachers will be recruited to attain a pupil –teacher ratio of 40:1 in Financial Year 2024/25 in12,433 UPE schools.
“The reason why parents have been contributing to the wage of contract staff is because the government has not been having adequate numbers of teachers in schools. So schools end up recruiting contract staff,” he said.
“Once we recruit more teachers, there will be no need for schools to contract additional teachers. We shouldn’t be hearing anymore about parents contributing to wages,” Dr Mugimba added.
He said the recruitment process of additional primary school teachers will commence next financial year.
“The First Lady has already written to the Ministry of Finance, asking them to avail Shs309b that Cabinet approved to improve the quality of free primary education by July 2024, and part of that money will go towards hiring more primary school teachers,” Dr Mugimba said.
He revealed that on March 17, Ms Museveni presented and got Cabinet approval of an additional Shs1.48 trillion to support UPE from FY 2024/2025 to 2027/ 2028, of which Shs309.16 billion is expected in the first year.
Mr Mugimba said besides recruitment of additional teachers, there will be increased funding for local government monitoring and inspection of schools.
“Government is taking steps to improve teacher presence in schools. We are very hopeful that the anticipated increased funding for education in the next five years will see this huge ocean liner called the education system take a turn for the better,” he added.
Records at the Education ministry indicate that currently, the country has a total of 12,433 UPE schools, with 136,819 teachers and 8,624,264 learners. Once the proposed recruitment is effected, it is anticipated that the number of primary school teachers in UPE schools will rise to 215,707, and reduce the teacher-learner ratio from the current 1: 53 to 1 teacher to 40 learners(1:40).
A head teacher of one of the UPE schools in eastern Uganda, who preferred to remain anonymous, welcomed the government’s decision, saying it would address the challenge of understaffing that they have been grappling with. She also said schools will be relieved of the hustle involved in convincing parents to pay contracted teachers.
Mr Baguma Filbert, the general secretary of the Uganda National Teachers Union, commended the government for considering recruiting more teachers but also said those recruited should be motivated to teach.
“This is a very good signal in supporting the education of innocent children because most schools are understaffed. However, to make sure that these teachers teach effectively, they must be motivated,” he said.
