UPE at all costs: Ugandan children flock to school, but quality suffers

In 1997 Uganda resolved to achieve universal primary education (UPE). Within five years, the number of children in primary schools almost trebled. However, pupil:teacher, pupil:textbook and pupil:classroom ratios have all worsened. Many parents of primary schoolchildren spend more than the state does on their education. Dependence on donors makes it unlikely that education input and quality indicators will be restored to pre-UPE standards.

A report from Uganda’s Economic Policy Research Centre looks at how Uganda pays for primary education. Whilst the authors welcome government investment and hail success in getting girls into school, they point to inconsistencies and inefficiencies in the way funds are spent.

The commitment to UPE came as part of a pre-election pledge. Planners were aware of resource implications but initial efforts to restrict the number of children were abandoned as Ugandan leaders promised seven years of primary education to every child. As a result, primary school gross enrolment shot up from 2.5 million pupils in 1996 to 7.3 million by the end of 2002.

Education expenditure rose dramatically from 2.1% of GDP in 1995 to 4.8% of GDP in 2000. Education’s share of total government spending went up from 13.7% in 1990 to 24.7% in 1998. Due to the sheer number of pupils, expenditure per child has declined. Spending favours wealthier parts of Uganda, where parents are able to contribute a higher proportion to the education of their children. In 2000 in Kampala, expenditure per primary school pupil was six times greater than in the remote northern district of Kotido.

There is little relation between per pupil public expenditure and education achievements– some regions do badly despite relatively high levels of expenditure per pupil while others with less funding do better. Financial mismanagement in different local governments explains the variation between expenditure per pupil and education achievements. The report also notes that:

• Differences in salary between principals or headmasters and other teachers have risen. There is little incentive to enter the teaching profession because of the poor pay offered to teachers and especially licensed teachers (those with some years of high school education who are given only in-service training).
• There has been a decline in individual subject performances.
• Whilst increased levels of parental contributions indicate commitment to education, many poor parents struggle to pay for transport, materials and uniforms. Poor parents in rural areas can hardly afford to contribute to the education of their children. This has led to relatively better quality education in urban areas compared to rural areas.
• Decentralisation has hardly helped improve supply of education inputs per pupil including teachers, textbooks, and classrooms. Some local governments find it difficult to recruit enough teachers to the proposed targets, while others find it relatively easier.

If UPE is to succeed in Uganda, policy-makers must:

• ensure that disadvantaged regions get a fair share of teachers, classrooms, furniture and textbooks. This would involve ensuring uniform expenditure per pupil in all areas of the country i.e. public and household expenditure.
• expand secondary and vocational schools to absorb the ‘bulge’ of additional primary school-leavers
• clearly account for how education resources are allocated
• improve payroll management to ensure teachers are not demotivated by delayed salary payments
• deal with fraud and reform inefficient tendering processes.

Much will depend on continued donor support. Inequality will worsen if poor parents are expected to make substantial contributions to the cost of educating their children. 

Source(s):
‘Financing primary education for all: Uganda’, Institute of Development Studies by Lawrence Bategeka, Milton Ayoki and Ashie Mukungu January 2004

Funded by: Department for International Development, UK

id21 Research Highlight: 28 October 2004

Further Information:
Lawrence Bategeka
Economic Policy Research Centre
Plot 51 Pool Road
Makerere University
Kampala
Uganda

Tel: + 256-41 541023
Fax: + 256-41 541022
Contact the contributor: bategeka@eprc.or.ug 

Economic Policy Research Centre, Uganda

Report available free on request

Contact the contributor: bookshop@ids.ac.uk

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'Moneyed classes: public spending on universal primary education'

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'What's keeping Kenyan children from school?'

'Teacher Education in Malawi: matching supply and demand'

'Achieving schooling for all – lessons in education spending'

'Hitting the target: doubling primary enrolments in sub-Saharan Africa by 2015'