Education Minister Janet Museveni has announced the need for an extra Shs309.1 billion to initiate the compulsory and free Universal Primary Education (UPE) program. The Cabinet directive instructs the ministry to commence implementation of the free and compulsory Universal Secondary Education (USE) and UPE, with priority given to UPE starting in the Financial Year 2024/2025.
The aim of this initiative, according to Ms. Museveni, is to provide an affordable education option for those unable to afford private school fees, thereby offsetting school fees and related charges at the beginning of the academic year.
Ms. Museveni emphasized that the government’s commitment to free and compulsory UPE and USE will be phased, with the additional funding required amounting to Shs309.16 billion, supplementing the Shs1.3 trillion allocated in the previous Financial Year.
Furthermore, discussions will be held with the 105 public secondary schools and 109 public primary schools receiving government funds but not implementing USE and UPE. It is clarified that under the free universal education scheme, students in beneficiary schools will not be charged for government-paid items. However, costs related to boarding and accommodation, if provided, will not be covered.
Additionally, the Cabinet has identified 12 items that cannot be charged as part of school fees, applicable to pre-primary, primary, and secondary schools. These directives will be formally communicated to all educational institutions by the Ministry of Education and Sports.
In parallel, Minister Museveni urged students to consider enrolling in technical vocational education and training institutions across Uganda. She also called for a forensic audit to understand the declining number of boys completing Senior Four in comparison to girls. Ms. Museveni stressed the importance of addressing this disparity to ensure the holistic inclusion and completion of education for all genders.
