Uganda: More Than 500 Pupils Share Three Teachers As Nebbi School

What the report says

Paleo NFE School in Nebbi District, western Uganda, is facing severe overcrowding, with 538 pupils taught by just three teachers, according to a Nile Post report distributed by AllAfrica. The school has operated for about 25 years on a half-acre site and serves children from Primary One to Primary Three in cramped classrooms, with the largest class containing 340 learners.

The report says the shortage extends beyond staffing. Some pupils sit on the floor because there are not enough desks, and Primary Three is taught in a grass-thatched structure donated years ago. School headteacher Teddy Oyeru said the school originally offered only lower primary grades, and older pupils previously had to travel several kilometers to continue schooling elsewhere, contributing to dropout risks.

Oyeru said the school lost some teachers after they failed to meet qualification requirements, leaving the headteacher to teach alongside administrative duties. She appealed for more land and support to expand facilities. Nebbi district education officials said they have asked the Ministry of Education and Sports to upgrade all seven non-formal education centres in the district into full primary schools.

The case highlights wider pressure on Uganda’s non-formal and complementary primary education centres, which were created to help children who missed conventional schooling. District data cited in the report shows 7 COPE centres in Nebbi serving 3,882 learners, while local officials say they are trying to keep children enrolled despite limited classrooms, teachers and funding.