Minimizing the Challenges and Obstacles Affecting Students in Uganda
Education is a fundamental right for every child in Uganda and worldwide. Regardless of family background, every child must have access to education. It is a parent's obligation to ensure their children receive an education, enabling them to achieve their ambitions and prospects. Even in the absence of funds, parents are expected to do everything in their power to educate their children.
In Uganda, it is illegal to deny children their right to education. Anyone who violates this law, as outlined in the Ugandan Constitution, may be fined 50,000 Ugandan shillings or imprisoned for up to twelve months.
Education plays a vital role in daily life, as it empowers individuals to develop critical skills, secure employment opportunities, make informed decisions for themselves and their communities, improve their quality of life, and break cycles of poverty. It equips individuals with the knowledge needed to navigate complex situations.
However, despite its importance, many obstacles prevent Ugandan children from attaining an education. Financial constraints are the primary barrier, but other factors also contribute, such as illiterate parents who pass on the mentality that education is unnecessary, hunger that affects concentration in class, drug abuse, long travel distances to school, and the loss of parents, which often leads to school dropouts due to a lack of support. Additionally, inadequate scholastic materials hinder academic progress.
Riverside High School Mbazzi
To address these challenges, the Ugandan government launched Universal Primary Education (UPE) in 1997, Universal Secondary Education (USE) in 2007, and a district quota system in 2005 to support students excelling in exams at the university level. The government also promotes women’s education through affirmative action, granting an extra point to female students applying to universities. These interventions have led to increased school enrollment, with primary school enrollment rising from 2.5 million in 1996 to 5.3 million in 1997, and by 2023, reaching 8.6 million—accounting for 73% of eligible children, according to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics.
Despite the government’s efforts, many challenges remain within the universal education system. Overcrowded classrooms, inadequate infrastructure, a shortage of qualified teachers, poor learning materials, high student-to-teacher ratios, widespread poverty affecting access to education, regional disparities, teacher absenteeism, child labor, and early marriage continue to be significant issues. These challenges have paved the way for private schools to dominate Uganda’s education sector, placing a financial burden on parents.
Action in Africa’s Impact
To promote quality education and address these barriers, Action in Africa (AIA) has transformed the lives of students in Nakuwadde through the Secondary Scholarship Program. Over the past 10 years, AIA has given out more than 800 Secondary Scholarships, and many of these students have continued on to a receive a university education.
AIA has nurtured professionals including doctors, lawyers, journalists, teachers, social workers, and engineers, who have passed through this scholarship program. Currently, AIA supports over 145 students through the Secondary Scholarship Program through regionally-esteemed schools such as Riverside High School Mbazzi and Central College Nateete in Nakuwadde.
To understand the impact of these scholarships, we spoke with Nabbosa Erina, a beneficiary of AIA’s secondary school scholarship.
Nabbosa Erina’s Story
Nabbosa Erina, a 17-year-old Senior Four student at Riverside High School Mbazzi, first learned about AIA during her primary education at Mother Deborah Primary School, a former AIA Primary Partnership Program (PPP) school.
She shared that after actively participating in AIA’s programs, she was delighted to receive a Secondary Scholarship in her Senior One year, which has continued to support her education to this day. Ever since receiving the scholarship, her life has changed significantly.
She said that in primary school, scholastic materials and school fees were a constant struggle, and she was often sent home due to unpaid fees, seeing firsthand how her parents struggled to educate her and her siblings.
Without AIA’s scholarship, Erina believes her life would have been vastly different—she might have attended a lower-quality secondary school with fewer resources. "I thank AIA for having taken me to a nice quality school. My results are promising compared to fellows who went to low standard schools—their results are unpromising due to unqualified teachers."
Erina also expressed her gratitude for AIA’s role in shaping her future aspirations. She now dreams of becoming a software engineer, thanks to the computer skills and workshops AIA has provided, such as the ICT Boot Camp, where she was exposed to web design, application development, and other relevant skills.
She sent her gratitude to the entire team of AIA who work tirelessly to support her ambitions and hopes.
"Thank you, Action in Africa!"
