Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Africa RegionHumanDevelopment Sector Report Education Uganda Post-primary Working PaperSeries The World Bank The World Africa Region Xiaoyan Liang © September 2002 Human Development Sector Africa Region The World Bank The views expressed within are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the World Bank or any of its affiliated organizations. Foreword ince the mid 1980s, Uganda has become one education now requires urgent attention as well. of Africa’s success stories. Reform measures The recent rapid enrollment growth in primary edu- S introduced by the current government have cation is causing a sharp increase in the demand for been largely implemented, and the country is on a education beyond the primary level. Furthermore, road toward steady economic recovery. there is a wide international consensus on the criti- Progress is particularly prominent in the educa- cal role played by good quality secondary educa- tion sector, and especially in primary education. The tion in enabling countries to train the manpower president’s decision in 1996 to eliminate primary required to benefit from the ICT and knowledge school fees for up to four children per family re- revolution, and to compete successfully in the new moved what had been an important economic im- globalized, knowledge-based economy. Secondary pediment for families to enroll and maintain their education also yields considerable private returns, children at school. This decision also sent a strong and provides opportunities to acquire attitudes, signal that basic education is a high priority. By 2001, skills, and competencies that enhance the ability of the gross enrollment ratio for primary education young people to participate fully in society, take stood at more than 120 percent. control of their lives, and continue learning at the Post-primary education, on the other hand, has re- post-secondary level. ceived less attention. This is particularly the case However, similar to other Sub-Saharan African for the different types of secondary education, which countries, Uganda faces enormous challenges in is the focus of this report. At about 19 percent in maintaining the drive towards good quality univer- 2000, the gross enrollment ratio for the full six-grade sal primary education while, at the same time, re- cycle of general secondary education is well below sponding to the increasing social and economic de- the Sub-Saharan average of almost 30 percent. In mand for rapid expansion of secondary education addition to low coverage, access rates differ consid- as well. In considering their options for expanding erably by gender, parental income, and area of resi- access to secondary education, governments have dence. Moreover, internal efficiency and student to decide on difficult trade-offs between the role of achievement is low. The quality and coverage of public financing in supporting different levels vocational and technical education and training is also (lower and upper secondary education), and types low, comparatively costly, and ill adapted to labor of secondary education (general, technical, voca- market needs. tional), as well as in ensuring equity in provision While Uganda is right in giving top priority to between different population groups (e.g., boys and achieving universal primary education, secondary girls, urban/rural, poor and more well-off groups). iv AFRICA REGION HUMAN DEVELOPMENT WORKING PAPER SERIES This study is designed to help the government This study was developed in consultation with clarify these trade-offs. The study represents a com- the Ugandan Ministry of Education and Sports. It prehensive review of Uganda’s secondary educa- also represents a collaborative effort between the tion sector. It is based on new data gathered specifi- World Bank and other development partners in the cally to examine the cost, quality, and demand for Education Funding Agency Group in Uganda. The such education. The analysis also draws on a wealth Norwegian Education Trust Fund supported it fi- of existing data and studies. Findings from all pre- nancially. We hope the study will contribute to the vious studies of post-primary education are synthe- national consultative process that is currently un- sized to produce a comprehensive picture. For each derway and serve as a platform on which to build a aspect of access, equity, quality, management and sustainable Post-primary Education Strategic Plan for financing, the study discusses the achievements to Uganda. date, the challenges ahead, and broad options for reform. Birger Fredriksen Senior Education Advisor Africa Region. The World Bank This report was prepared by Xiaoyan Liang, task team leader, under the supervision of Paud Murphy, lead education specialist, AFTH1, and Dzingai B. Mutubmuka, sector manager, AFTH1. Teams mem- bers Harriet Nannyonjo and Debbie Peterson, AFTH1, provided support, and background papers were supplied by Paul Bennell, Charles Byaruhanga, Jack Keating,Victor Levine, Keith Lewin,Tony Read, the Uganda National Education Bureau, International Development Consultants Ltd., and Impact Associates in association with Monarch Consulting Company. In Uganda, the author worked in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Sports, Uganda, the Department of Secondary Education, the Department of Business, Technical, and Vocational Edu- cation and Training. Peer reviewers Jacob Bregman, David Court, Toby Linden, Peter Moock, and Adriaan M. Verspoor offered valuable comments and feedback. Additional written comments were received from Amit Dar, Bruce N. Jones, Soren Nellemann, and Michael Ward (DFID Uganda). Final editing and formatting of the report were done by Lawrence Mastri. Contents Foreword .....................................................................................................................................................................iii Acronyms ..................................................................................................................................................................xiii Executive Summary................................................................................................................................................... ix 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................. 1 1.1The importance of post-primary education ................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Purposes of the study .................................................................................................................................... 2 1.3 Sector report development process ............................................................................................................. 3 1.4 Data sources .................................................................................................................................................... 5 1.5 Definition of post-primary education ......................................................................................................... 5 1.6 Organization of the sector report ................................................................................................................ 6 2. Demographic, Social and Economic Context.................................................... 7 3. Education Sector Overview .................................................................................. 9 3.1 Structure of the education system ............................................................................................................... 9 3.2 Size of the education sector .......................................................................................................................... 9 3.3 Selected basic indicators of the education system in Uganda ............................................................... 10 3.4 Government expenditure on education .................................................................................................... 11 4. Uganda Post-Primary Education ........................................................................ 14 4.1 Policy, objectives, structure, admission, and size ..................................................................................... 14 4.2 System performance .................................................................................................................................... 18 4.3 System inputs................................................................................................................................................ 35 4.4 Cost and financing of post-primary education and training ................................................................. 44 4.5 Business, technical and vocational education .......................................................................................... 51 4.6. Private provision of post-primary education and training ...................................................................56 4.7. Cost effectiveness of various PPET institutions ..................................................................................... 60 5. PPET Enrollment and Transition Rates Projections ...................................... 63 6. Conclusions............................................................................................................ 66 7. Policy Options