The World Bank said last year that 54 percent of adults in Africa south of the Sahara Desert ranked the issue of paying school costs higher than medical or other costs.
The aid organization said school fees were the biggest financial worry for 40 percent of people in Uganda. In that country, a top government-supported school reportedly costs $700 for a three-month term. That is a lot of money in a country where yearly economic activity per person was $864 in 2023.
World Bank information shows that African countries in the area also have the highest rates of children out of school in the world. Parents in Uganda report unpredictable increases in the cost of attending school, or tuition, as a cause of tension. Some critics are calling for laws to protect parents from exploitation.
The Equal Opportunities Commission is a government agency that reports on the issues of inequality and discrimination. It released a report in September that called for punishment against government-supported schools that demand fees that are too high. It warned that arbitrarily raising fees can force children to drop out of school.
The Uganda Bureau of Statistics says that children’s attendance in early grades is about 68 percent. But the percentage falls to 22 percent for secondary school. The main reason given is financial difficulty.
Uganda has a program of secondary education for all students. It was introduced in 2007. However, schools are not in good condition. The schools usually do not require tuition, but parents must pay for uniforms, textbooks and other costs.
Private schools are more popular but also more costly. Spokesperson for the Ministry of Education Dennis Mugimba said the government is not interested in making rules about prices. Mugimba said setting private school fees is “purely administrative and it is adjusted according to the business environment.” But he said costs linked to “capital development” should not be the responsibility of parents.
The number of private schools across Uganda has increased. The Associated Press (AP) reports that they are now a majority of the country’s schools. But some people with ties to education say placing importance on the profitability of education as a business is worrying.
Fagil Mandy is a former inspector of schools. Mandy said there should be standardized rules to make school fees predictable for everyone.
It is normal for both private and government-supported schools to request money for many projects. These can include buying a bus or purchasing laboratory equipment.
One student’s story
Shalom Mirembe is a student who spoke to the AP. Her mother takes care of four children. Her father recently died.
The school Mirembe attends near Kampala costs $300 per term. But her mother sends Mirembe to school without paying. She is depending on the mercy of officials.
But Joanita Seguya, a teacher at Wampewo Ntakke Secondary, said schools are taking measures to bar students from school if their parents do not pay. Seguya said of the school’s 2100 students, 400 are from families that struggle to pay fees.
Twenty-year-old Mirembe is taking her final exams this year. At one point, school officials were going to bar her from school because her mother had failed to pay the fees. But when school administrators found out that her father had died recently, they permitted her to return. Some of her teachers attended the funeral.
But other families are not so fortunate.
Moses Serikomawa is jobless with seven children. He said paying $200 in school fees each term is too much when the family lacks food sometimes. But he added, “The children still want to go back to school.”
I’m Mario Ritter, Jr.
Rodney Muhumuza reported this story for the Associated Press. Mario Ritter, Jr. adapted it for VOA Learning English.
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Words in This Story
arbitrarily –adj. not based on a plan or for a specific or good reason
tuition –n. the stated cost of attending a school or education program
uniform –n. identical clothing that is worn by people in some professions or by students at certain schools
fee –n. an amount that must be paid sometimes in addition to other costs
adjust –v. to change a value or a piece of equipment so that it is correct or is enough
mercy –n. willingness to forgive or to do something because it appears to be kind or good
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