By Leonard Kamugisha Akida
KAMPALA
The Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) has called on the government to increase funding for Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Universal Secondary Education (USE), saying inadequate financing is pushing schools to shift the cost of education to parents.
The call comes ahead of the reopening of Pre-Primary, Primary and Secondary schools for the third term on Monday, September 14.
UPC spokesperson Arach Oyat Sharon said the financial burden on families was becoming increasingly difficult, with parents facing unpaid second-term balances alongside third-term school requirements.
She said some families were prioritising candidate classes, including Primary Seven, Senior Four and Senior Six, while delaying the return of other children because of financial constraints.
“Both UPE and USE programmes are grossly underfunded,” Arach told journalist during a press conference at the UPC headquarters in Uganda House, Kampala, on Wednesday.
The government allocates Shs20,000 per pupil annually under UPE, Shs175,000 per student under USE and Shs270,000 per student under Universal Post O’level Education and Training (UPOLET).
UPC argues that the allocations are inadequate to meet the cost of running schools, leaving institutions dependent on parents and guardians to bridge the funding gap.
The National Planning Authority recommends that at least Shs63,546 is required per primary pupil, Shs532,720 for a lower secondary student and Shs885,440 for an upper secondary student to deliver quality education.
Arach said the funding gap undermines the objectives of UPE and USE, despite the policies being designed to widen access to education.
She urged the government to prioritise education in budget frameworks and provide schools with adequate resources.
“The future progress of our country is anchored on the quality of education we offer to our children,” she said.
As third term nears opening, UPC also urged school administrators and private proprietors to consider flexible payment arrangements for parents facing financial difficulties.
“Sending pupils and students back home should not be an option. No Ugandan child should miss a single day of learning,” said Muzeyi Faizo, head of the media and communication at UPC.
Faizo further called for increased support supervision for schools implementing the aligned A-Level curriculum, saying many teachers are struggling to understand as well as implementing the competence based curriculum. The current Senior Six cohort is the pioneer group under the new curriculum.
According to the ministry of education calendar, third term will run for 82 instructional days, from September 14 to December 4,2026.
