Country Education Profile

UGANDA

The existing structure of education has been in force since the early sixties. This structure consists of seven years of primary education followed by a secondary cycle (Uganda Certificate of Education, UCE)of four years. This is followed by an upper secondary cycle (Uganda Advanced Cycle of Education) of two years after which there are three to five years of either college or university studies.

In January 1997, the government began to implement Universal Primary Education (UPE) through which four children per family would qualify for government support during primary education. The program is a response to the high value Ugandans place on education. Primary education is not compulsory, and parents have shouldered much of the financial responsibility of educating their children, frequently supplementing teacher salaries. The majority of educational institutions are government run. Since UPE, enrolment for primary education has increased, at least more than 4.3 million children are now in school up form 2.7 million.

No. of Schools - Enrolment

Government

Primary Schools: 7,905 - 4,000,000
Secondary Schools: 774 - 240,834
Teacher Training Colleges: 52. - 6,556
Commercial Colleges: 5 - 1,009
Technical Colleges: 5 - 1,247
Other Higher Institutions: 3 - 1,463
Mbarara University: 1 - 250
Makerere University: 1 - 11,000

Non-Government

Primary: 485 - 300,025
Secondary: 145 - 25,000
Commercial Colleges: 15 - 2,350

Makerere University, begun in the 1920's, is the major tertiary institution in the country. The President of the country serves as the Chancellor and appoints the Vice Chancellor. It is funded by the government of Uganda and is transforming itself from an elite institution to one offering mass education, taking in fee paying students for needed income. Since 1987, student intake has quadrupled, and in 1996, Makerere had a student population of 11,000. Mulago teaching Hospital and the East African School of Information Studies and Librarianship form part of the university. There are numerous institutes affiliated to Makerere, including Makerere Institute of Social Research.

Mbarara University of Science and Technology was established in 1989. Medicine, nursing and science education are emphasized. The institute of Tropical Forestry Research, located in Ruhia, in the Bwindi Forest National Park is part of Mbarara University.

The Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU), established by the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) in 1988, is situated in Mbale, eastern Uganda. The OIC controls and finances the operations of IUIU. The majority of students are Muslim and come from Anglophone African countries, as well as Uganda. Staff salaries and student fees are paid by the member states of the OIC. The academic program includes a Faculty of Islamic Studies and Arabic language, a Faculty of Education and a Faculty of Business and Public Administration.

There are some six additional private universities, all founded since 1990 and affiliated with a religious denomination. Curriculum emphasis is on marketable courses, ie., business studies and computer studies. Traditional philosophical or theological specialties are also taught. For staffing, most private universities depend on Makerere University lecturers who moonlight for these institutions. There is no national mechanism for evaluation and accreditation of the new tertiary institutions.