Uganda

General Survey: Since many students come from great distances to attend secondary schools, most are boarding schools. It is also true that to prevent unwanted pregnancies, most secondary schools cater to a single sex. English is the principal language of instruction. Less than 20 percent of students who complete "O" levels continue to "A" level instruction. Close to 40 percent of these students were females in 1995, up from 33 percent in 1988 (UNESCO 2000). These students were enrolled in over 600 schools whose total enrollment in 1995 reached 292,321 students. Beyond this, there were 73 government-aided secondary schools and more than 170 private secondary schools.

Ugandans consider secondary education a "rich man's harvest." Parents have to pay large fees and buy school uniforms. These fees are prohibitive for many rural families and competition is fierce. The government pays for the buildings, equipment, teacher and administrator salaries, and maintenance. Most secondary teachers graduated from National Teachers Colleges or universities. Primary school graduates who do not go on to academic secondary schools may enter grade two teacher training programs or vocational alternatives. Over half of students who finish "O" levels and enter the job market do not find employment that is a good fit for their education, which fuels some of Uganda's political discontent and turmoil.

Curriculum: The curriculum includes mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, English, French, history, geography, religious studies, political education, literature, and commerce. Additional languages offered may include German, Swahili, Urdu, Gujarati, and/or Luganda. All schools have extracurricular activities such as soccer and other sports, games, and cultural activities such as school plays and concerts. Home economics, art, agriculture, wood and metal fabrication, and other practical subjects have been introduced in many schools to meet the demands of a labor market that must absorb over half of all Form IV graduates who do not advance to "A" levels. Secondary school curriculums do not have to be identical. General education courses are taken during the first two years and in the third year students begin to specialize. Second languages phase in during the third year in most schools.

Examinations & Diplomas: Admission to secondary schools depends upon passage of the Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) with high scores. Students who do so may choose to enter a grade two teacher training college or a technical college rather than pursue an academic secondary school education. Upon successful completion of four years of "O" level secondary education, students take the Uganda Certificate of Education examination. Only 20 percent of "O" level graduates earn scores high enough for admission to "A" level secondary schools for advanced training in their area of specialization. Advanced secondary education last for two additional years. Upon completion of "A" level education students face another hurdle known as the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education examination. This examination determines selection for university education, national teachers colleges, and government employment.

Teachers: In 1991, about 48 percent of all secondary school teaching positions were not filled. Rapid expansion of the secondary school system in part explains the shortages. The majority of teaching faculty in secondary schools are graduates and more than 60 percent are professionally trained. Graduates of "O" level institutions are eligible to enter grade three teacher training colleges; however, Makerere University's Department of Education bears primary responsibility for training qualified secondary school teachers, in cooperation with national teachers colleges. Students who attend national teachers colleges receive their diplomas through Makerere University's School of Education. In-service teacher education is encouraged, but no established required programs are in place. The Uganda Technical Colleges and the Uganda College of Commerce train cadres of technicians, secretaries, stenographers, accountants, and craftsmen respectively.

Technical colleges and universities face chronic shortages of teachers and have difficulty recruiting and maintaining faculty. One problem brought on by very rapid expansion of secondary schools is the recruitment of unqualified teachers to staff classrooms. Teaching staffs have more than doubled, but in 1980 untrained teachers were 38 percent of the teaching force and this number rose to 48 percent by 1989. Upgrading such faculty will present a major challenge for Uganda.

Officially the secondary school teacher-student ratio is 1: 21 but this masks wide regional disparities. It is often 1:8 in remote districts like Karamoja and closer to 1:70 in crowded urban schools. The 1:21 ratio is merely a national average which is not accurate enough to tell World Bank officials where more teachers are needed most or what it takes to retain them after recruiting them.

Repeaters & Dropouts: Roughly 75 percent of primary school graduates drop out and never go on to secondary school. Add to this the fact that about one fourth of first year students drop out, and, by the fourth year of secondary school, only a small percentage of the entering class graduate. High dropout rates are typical at every level of Uganda's educational system, which may force the government to commission studies to determine the reasons so that they can combat this problem.

Vocational Education: High dropout rates at every level necessitate greater emphasis on vocational education to train school-leavers' for available jobs within Uganda's economy. Moreover, Uganda's industrial sector is small, compounding problems of absorption of dropouts. The Ministry of Education recognizes this problem and has revamped secondary school curriculums to reflect the need for more training in arts and crafts and vocational subjects such as woodworking and agriculture. The Nakawa Vocational Institute in Kampala offers full-time courses in auto mechanics, electrical installation and fitting, and industrial engineering. A 16 year old secondary school dropout who has completed at least two years of secondary school can take six month training courses in metal working, sheet metalwork, welding, and flame cutting. Both theory and practice are taught.

There are YMCAs and YWCAs throughout Uganda which offer vocational training programs in handicrafts, cooking, health education, dressmaking, typing, business correspondence, bookkeeping, carpentry and joining, masonry, plumbing, and driving. Makerere University's Continuing Education Center also offers vocational training courses by "taking the university to the people." These are one-year full-time residence courses leading to university certificates in adult studies. It also offers courses for clerks, teachers, chiefs, artisans, and agricultural extension workers. There are 10 rural technical schools offering three year courses and five two-year technical training institutes. The Uganda Technical College and the Uganda College of Commerce also offer vocational training. In 1962 technical and commercial training accounted for 3.9 percent of the national education budget and by 1981 it had climbed to 7 percent, but it fell back to 4 percent by 1985.