Cost of education: A reinforcing inequality factor in Uganda if not addressed

The President has frequently instructed school managers not to demand any money from parents to pay for any items in UPE and USE schools, but, frankly, does the Government of Uganda fully support government-aided schools to meet all their needs? How about feeding the learners? 

Cost of education: A reinforcing inequality factor in Uganda if not addressed
By Admin .
Journalists @New Vision
#Education #Uganda

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OPINION

By Richard Ssempala

Internationally, education is not a privilege but a fundamental human right. Economics accords a significant weight to the role of education in steering a country’s economic growth and development.

This is entrenched in its role in human capital development, as well as shaping national identity and social values. Where natural resources are scarce, human capital, when effectively nurtured, becomes one of the formidable forces that can drive the economy to a steady state. 

Lessons of such a development can be drawn from countries that have made huge investments in education, such as East Asia, i.e.  China, Japan and Singapore, where tangible results are seen. Just like its Latin meaning, the word ‘educate’ means ‘to draw out potential’. With education, it is expected that a person receives the needed knowledge and skills to maximise their potential to thrive in a world full of untapped opportunities.  However, this is premised on the quality and level of education attained.

The role of education in ensuring equality is greatly appreciated globally. For instance, Sustainable Development Goal Number 4 (SDG 4) clearly emphasises access to quality education as a cornerstone of inclusivity.  SDG 4 is intended to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.”

In Uganda, there have been efforts to enrol young people in school through various programmes, such as Universal Primary Education (UPE), Universal Secondary Education (USE), and Universal Post-O-Level Education and Training (UPOLET). These efforts are intended to increase access to education for economically vulnerable families and communities, among others. Unfortunately, some children have not had the opportunity to enrol or do not complete the needed levels to the expected quality.

The 2024 National Population and Housing Census shows that 20.2% of the population aged 10 and above had no formal education, while 39.4% had attained some primary-level education. In addition, approximately 6% of the population had attained the post-secondary level of education. Overall, the findings revealed that 17.4 % of males and 22.7% of females had no education.

This shortfall reveals a gap that calls for urgent attention, especially from the Ministry of Education and Sports, the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, and the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, for the need to invest in human capital development through education.  The size of the well-educated population capable of participating in industrialisation and other critical economic activities is the route many countries are taking.

Whereas privatisation could be ideal for promoting efficiency and economic liberalisation, limited government control over education, especially with regard to pricing, is a gap that breeds or is breeding inequalities. Empirical evidence shows that the educational expenditure of rich households can prevent the poor from escaping poverty, especially where quality is expected in private schools.

The President has frequently instructed school managers not to demand any money from parents to pay for any items in UPE and USE schools, but, frankly, does the Government of Uganda fully support government-aided schools to meet all their needs? How about feeding the learners?  A conducive learning environment goes beyond the availability of instructors; it also includes the capacity of learners to grasp what the instructors deliver.

In Uganda, the cost of education is exorbitantly high, with some primary schools charging more or less fees equal to those charged by universities. For instance, in schools in urban centres such as Kampala, Wakiso, Mbarara, and Mukono, the charges exceed sh1m per term (every two to three months), which is similar to what most universities charge per semester.

Whereas the costs are explained to a certain extent, the high charges undermine the potential for children from poor families to attain education.

In many instances, we have seen parents/guardians fall into debt traps, while others have been constrained to sell off valuable assets to meet the fee requirements for their children/wards.  It is expected that as countries work towards achieving desirable levels of economic growth, greater strategic investments will be made in those areas that can spur transformation, such as the education sector.

The essence of education is not to create a herd of children with good memories or who are able to respond to questions quickly. What is needed is learning that enables a child to explore their potential, for the benefit of the whole country. This is greatly impacted by the environment, tools, and exposure the child receives. 

The gap in learning environments, especially between urban and rural areas, leaves many rural-based schools at a disadvantage, and yet their products have to compete in the same labour market with those from rich families.

In fact, rich individuals’ demand for education pushes up its price at a pace faster than what poor individuals can catch up with. Accordingly, the poor are gradually excluded from higher education.  Consequently, income inequality worsens between the rich and the poor in the long run.

We must become keenly aware that educational disparity is not only unhealthy for our country, but that it can lead to generational inequality and dependency. Structural barriers, particularly those limiting access to quality education such as high school fees, could be one of the missing cogs in the wheel of development and economic transformation that the country has not appreciated, and that needs to be addressed.

The writer is a Lecturer- Makerere University School of Economics; PhD Scholar- Osaka Metropolitan University, Japan