1

Insights into Uganda’s Current Education System

Mary Goretti NakabugoMary Immaculate College, University of Limerick, Irelandgoretti.nakabugo@mic.ul.ie / gnakabugo@yahoo.co.uk

Presentation to the Centre for Global Development through Education - Ireland

April 2009

Presentation Content

1. Some facts about Uganda

2. Synopsis of the school system

3. Learners in the system

4. Teachers in the system

5. Teacher Education (Primary)

6. Teacher Education (Post Primary)

2

UgandaColonial History: Independence from UK 9 Oct 1962

Population: 32 million people (expected to double in 20 yrs)

Age structure: 0-14years (50%); 15-64 years (49.9%);

65 years ++ (2.1%) (high dependency rate)

Urbanisation: 13% of the total population – most schs rural

Life expectancy:

Total population: 52.72 years; Male: 51.66 years;

Female: 53.81 years

Total fertility rate: 6.77 children born/woman

Ethnic groups: Several: Baganda 16.9%; Banyankole 9.5%; Basoga 8.4%; Bakiga 6.9%; Iteso 6.4%l Langi 6.1%; Acholi 4.7%; Bagisu 4.6%; Lugbara 4.2%; Bunyoro 2.7%; other 29.6%

Religions: Catholic 41.9%; Protestant 42% (Anglican 35.9%, Pentecostal 4.6; Seventh Day Adventist 1.5%); Muslim 12.1%; other 3.1%, none 0.9%) [religious bodies’ great influence on education]

Languages: English is the official language, Luganda widely spoken, there ther are 33++ native languages and dialects spoken by the different ethnic groups [mother tongue policy]

Literacy: age 15++ can read and write: Total population (66.8%); male (76.8%); female (57.7%)

Labour force: Agriculture (82%); Industry (5%); Services 13%) – Burden of sustaining the social infrastructure, including education – dependence on external funding

3

4

Uganda’s Education SystemEducation level

Cycle Award Progress opportunities

Pre-primary (not mandatory

2 years - Primary Education

Primary 7 years (ages 6-12)

Primary Leaving Examination (PLE)

Lower Secondary/Technical School

Lower secondary (ordinary level)

4 years(ages 13-16)

Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE)

Upper Secondary (A-level)/PTCTechnical Institute

Upper Secondary (A-level)

2 years(ages 17-18)

Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE)

UniversityOther higher education training institutions

University 3-5 years(ages 19-21++)

Diploma/Degree

Postgraduate studies

Note: Progression through the different levels depends on performance in examinations (there are 3 national examinations before tertiary education…)

Primary Schools by Ownership (MoE&S statistical abstracts, 2007)

5

Ownership No. of schools % of schools

Government 11,654 79.1

Private 2,029 13.8

Community 861 5.8

Not reported 184 1.2

Total 14,728

Primary schools by founding body

Founding body No. of schools % of schools

Church of Ug. 4904 33.30%

Catholic 4561 30.97%

Parents 1762 11.96%

Entrepreneurs 996 6.76%

Islamic 915 6.21%

Government 663 4.50%

Others e.g. 660 4.48%

SDA 185 1.26%

Not reported 82 0.56%

Grand totals 14,728

Primary Schools by location

School location No. of schools % of schools

Rural 11,801 80.1%

Peri-urban 1,757 11.9%

Urban 908 6.2%

Not reported 262 1.8%

Grand totals 14,728

Learners in the prim ed. sector

Gender No of learners %

Male 3,779,338 50.137%

Female 3,758,633 49.862%

Total 7,537,971 (compared to 3.4 m in 1996)

Gender parity almost achieved at primary levelNon-completion and dropout rates high E.g. proportion of children successfully completing P.7 reduced from 72% in 2000 to 51% 2005 ) (MoE&S 2005). Reasons: Educ free, but there are other costs; conflict areas… Transition from primary to secondary quite low. i.e. 68.6% of those completing primary, transition to secondary: 69.7% male & 67.4% female) – Might improve with the introduction of USE.

Trends in Quality indicators of primary education - 2000 to 2005

Indicator Source of Data

Actual 2000

Actual 2001

Actual 2002

Actual 2003

Actual 2004

Actual 2005

(i). Percentage of pupils reaching defined level of competency in literacy at (a) Primary 3 (b) Primary 6

NAPEUNEB

18%13%

N/AN/A

N/AN/A

34.3%20.5%

N/AN/A

38%30%

(ii). Percentage of pupils reaching defined level of competency in numeracy at (a) Primary 3 (b) Primary 6

Source: EMIS, 2005

39%41%

N/AN/A

N/A N/A

42.9%20.5%

N/AN/A

41%33%

9

Teachers in the prim. Ed. sector

In total 152,086 teachers The majority are male: 92,345 (60.7%) and

59,741 (39.3%) female teachers With 7,537,971 learners in the system, the

teacher-pupil ratio is approximately 1:50 (including untrained teachers in the system)

Primary teachers by qualificationQualification Total

Licensed Teachers 9,651

Grade II Teachers 2,103

Grade III Teacher (min. qual) 99,095

Grade IV Teachers 1,802

Grade V Teachers 7,175

Graduate Teachers 2,992

Other training e.g. BA, M,A, PhD)

1,197

Diploma in primary 22,430

Not stated 5,641

Total 152,086

The primary sch. curriculum The Thematic Curriculum has been developed for P.1 to P.3. Focus is

on improving pupils' performance levels in literacy, numeracy and life skills.

The policy recommends the use of local language as a medium of Instruction and that English be taught as a subject.

For P.4 to P.7, the local language selected by the school authority is taught as a subject.

The medium of Instruction Is English language.

Subjects: English, Kiswahili (optional) Local Languages (optional) Agriculture and Integrated Production Skills, Social Studies, Religious Studies, Mathematics; Integrated Sciences Information Communication Technology, Performing Arts and Physical Education(PAPE)

However, the PLE focuses on English, Mathematics, Science & Social Studies, and this tends to drive what is taught and assessed in schools

Secondary Schools by ownership

Ownership No. of schools % of schools

Government 877 33.2%

Private 1,254 47.4%

Community 485 18.3%

Not reported 28 1.1%

Total 2,644

Rural = 55.6% Peri-urban = 28% Urban = 1.9%

Secondary schools by founding body

Founding Body No. of Schools % of schools

Government 142 5.37%

Islamic 120 4.54%

Church of Ug 460 17.40%

Catholic 458 17.32%

SDA 38 1.44%

Parents 404 15.28%

Entrepreneurs 777 29.39%

Others 210 7.94%

Not reported 35 1.32%

Total 2,644

Some more facts about secondary education Total learners (954,328)

Male (517,254) Female (437,074)

Total Teachers (50,767) Male (39,520) Female (11,247)

Teacher-student ration (1:19) – superficially

Minimum qualification A-Level + 2-year diploma in education from NTC (O-Level trs) A-Level + 3-year university training (A-Level trs)

Secondary teachers by educ. level

Level Male Female Total

PhD 37 05 42

Masters 858 344 1202

Graduate 10,315 3,420 13,735

PGD 1384 363 1747

A-Level + cert./Dipl

13,741 3,779 17,520

A-Level 2123 313 2436

O-Level – Cert. / Dipl

256 85 341

O-Level 109 25 134

Not stated 9560 4050 13,610

Total 38,383 12,384 50,767

Secondary school curriculum

Core-subjects: English, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Geography, History.

Other subjects: literature In English, Religious Education, Music, Art, Agriculture, Technical Drawing, Wood work, Metal work, Business Education, Home Economics, Clothing and Textiles, Food and Nutrition.

Apart from the core subjects, schools are given opportunity to identify other subjects that they can handle In terms of human resources, Infrastructure and instructional materials.

Teacher Education

Primary: 47 PTCs in total (2 private, 45, Govt)

(Entry is O-Level, pass MTC, Eng & 2 science subjects)

Secondary: 6 NTCs (1 Private, 5 public) for those who do not qualify for university teacher training after A-Level

28 Universities (5 public, 23 private)

18

2-year PTC Curriculum

General Education (academic knowledge; integrated production skills; communication skills)

Professional Education [foundations of education and School Practice – lasting 12 weeks of supervised teaching and school experience

Community service i.e. evidence of engagement in community activities during SP

Note: With the introduction of the thematic curriculum in primary education, a new PTC curriculum is being piloted…

19

3-year Secondary Tr. Training

Content of 2 teaching subjects (Arts or Sciences)

FED (comparative education, sociology, philosophy, economics, history of Educ, Educ Admin…

Curriculum, Teaching & Media Educational Psychology School Practice lasting 16 weeks (8 in year 2

& 8 in year 3)20

Conclusion

Teachers of different qualifications would have different needs & impact – difficult to ensure standardised quality

Schools in different locations, majority in rural areas – the most remote ones hardly attract qualified teachers

Founding body & ownership (implications e.g. teacher motivation and professionalism)

The influence of exams in the system is massive Any intervention would need to consider these realities

e.g. many issues to consider while forming research groups

21