FDC Says Govt Schools Cannot Absorb Learners as Third Term Begins

What the report says

The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has used the start of Uganda’s third school term to renew criticism of government spending on public education, saying many state schools lack the space, infrastructure and funding needed to absorb all learners. According to the Nile Post report, the party argues that shortcomings in Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Universal Secondary Education (USE) are pushing families to pay for costs that should be covered under a free education policy.

Robert Centenary, the FDC vice chairperson, said the state owns only a minority of primary and secondary schools, with the rest privately run, and questioned whether the existing government schools can serve all school-age children. He also said capitation funding for primary pupils has remained low for years, leaving parents to cover items such as scholastic materials, meals, uniforms and transport. The party said this undermines the idea of free education and contributes to pressure on households as schools reopen.

The FDC further accused the government of failing to fully deliver long-promised education commitments, including expanded school construction, school feeding and support for girls’ menstrual hygiene. It argued that hungry children cannot learn well and that poor families are especially affected. As a response, the party called for more predictable funding for UPE and USE, rehabilitation of older public schools, new secondary schools in sub-counties that lack them, and the introduction of a two-term school calendar to give families more time to meet education costs. More broadly, the opposition said education should remain a public responsibility rather than shifting further toward private providers.