The Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) has urged the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development to raise the capitation grant for government-aided primary schools, citing the current amount of sh20,000 per pupil per annum as inadequate. Filbert Bates Baguma, UNATU’s General Secretary, emphasized the need for an increase in capitation grant finances for both primary and secondary education during the 2024/2025 financial year to ensure the smooth operation of teaching-learning activities.
UNATU, comprising 400 members across all education sectors nationwide, called for a substantial raise in capitation grants, proposing an increase from sh20,000 to sh100,000 per learner annually for primary education and from sh58,000 to sh100,000 per learner per term for secondary education. Moreover, they advocated raising the grant for Advanced Level students from sh98,000 to sh150,000 per student per term.
Baguma highlighted the detrimental effects of insufficient funding for government schools, which has led to the proliferation of private schools charging exorbitant fees. He emphasized the importance of timely disbursement of funds, noting instances where schools failed to open at the beginning of the term due to fund unavailability.
Additionally, UNATU expressed concern over the declining budget allocation for the education sector, falling short of international targets. Baguma stressed the need for Uganda to emulate countries like Zimbabwe, which allocate a significant portion of their national budget to education, aiming for quality education for all children.
Addressing recent government bans on building fees in schools, Baguma underscored the necessity for increased government funding to offset the costs associated with non-teaching staff. He emphasized the importance of infrastructure development and teacher recruitment in government schools to improve learning conditions before imposing bans on fees in private schools.
Despite initiatives like Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Universal Secondary Education (USE), many government schools remain poorly facilitated, lacking essential resources and adequate teacher numbers. Baguma urged the government to prioritize infrastructure development and teacher recruitment to enhance the quality of education in public schools.
