uganda’s education system
The Flaws in Uganda’s Education System
In a recent interview, Jeff Bezos (the world’s second-richest man) announced a $2 billion donation to support early childhood education in underprivileged communities. His reasoning was clear: a child who falls behind in their early years will struggle to catch up later in life.
While Uganda’s Universal Primary Education (UPE) program has significantly increased enrollment—from 3.1 million in 1996 to 7.6 million in 2003—the government has overlooked a crucial foundation: Early Childhood Education (ECE). Shockingly, in 2015, only 433,258 children were enrolled in ECE, despite over 5 million children being aged 3-5. This means that for every 100 preschool-aged children, only 9 attended school, leaving 90.5% to wait until age six to start primary education—especially in rural areas.
The lack of government-funded ECE centers shows a glaring neglect of this vital stage of learning. Without proper early education, Uganda’s overall education quality suffers, limiting the country’s ability to produce highly skilled professionals.
How Uganda Compares to Its Neighbors
Uganda lags far behind neighboring countries in preschool enrollment:
- Kenya: 53.5%
- Tanzania: 35.5%
- Rwanda: 29%
Even South Korea, which once neglected early education, saw dramatic improvements in math and science after investing in nursery schools. Today, South Korea ranks among the world’s best in these fields.
The Consequences of Neglect
With no public investment in ECE, only private urban-based schools fill the gap—most of which are unaffordable for 80% of Ugandans (NPA, 2015). Worse, many preschool teachers work without formal contracts, receive meager salaries, and are hired verbally, raising serious concerns about education quality.
President Museveni has emphasized science education, even threatening to import Cuban doctors. Yet, Cuba—despite economic sanctions—invests 12% of its GDP in nursery education, achieving a 99.5% enrollment rate. Uganda’s failure to prioritize ECE is a major oversight.
By leaving early education to profit-driven private entities—who cater only to the wealthy—the government has failed its children. Without urgent intervention, Uganda’s entire education system remains broken, unequal, and ineffective.
The system is, indeed, rotten.
Oketcho Wilbroad
(oketchowilbroad@gmail.com)
