(Kampala) – The Uganda National Examination Board (UNEB) is seeking an additional 6.5 billion shillings for the 2024/25 budget to provide five daily meals, utilities, and basic health services for examiners and checkers involved in marking examinations. This request comes in light of a significant shortfall in the board’s budget.
Currently, UNEB has been allocated 10.2 billion shillings, but there is a total shortfall of 16.7 billion shillings. In addition to the funds for meals, UNEB is also requesting 4.6 billion shillings to enhance the marking fees for examiners, acknowledging that the current rates are inadequate. The Education Committee in Parliament is looking to address this issue in order to attract more qualified examiners.
Furthermore, UNEB requires 1.3 billion shillings to improve the security features on result slips issued to students. This funding will also cover information and communication technology (ICT) consumables needed for processing and printing examinations, especially given the rising costs in this sector.
The Ministry of Education has its own financial needs, requesting an additional 30.2 billion shillings to facilitate the seamless takeover of 100 secondary schools by communities and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that currently lack the financial means to manage them. Additionally, 6.4 billion shillings is needed to support 100 primary schools.
The Parliamentary Committee on Education has been informed about the ministry’s initiative to acquire schools nationwide, estimating that each secondary school will cost 300 million shillings, while each primary school will require 64 million shillings. The total financial requirement for these initiatives amounts to 36.3 billion shillings.
However, it is important to note that these funds are not included in the national budget for the 2024/25 fiscal year.
