Education For Future

Uganda’s economy has suffered from economic instability, leaving Uganda as one of the poorest countries in the world. More than 37% of Ugandans live below the international poverty line of US $1.25 per day and the life expectancy is 53 years of age. Primary school became free for Ugandan families in 1997, which increased the attendance by 70% in just one year. Today, teacher-to-student ratios are approximately 1:100. Up to 80% of children who enter rural primary schools do not complete it. Of those who do finish, only 40% continue on to secondary education. This means that out of 100 rural children who enter primary grade one, less than 30 complete primary grade seven and only 12 children join secondary school. A good secondary education in Uganda will cost between 600-800 dollars per year.  This is far beyond the means of Ugandan’s subsistence farmers who make up 85% of the population. With the second youngest population in the world (50% of Ugandans are under the age of 15) quality education is crucial to ensure the country’s future economic growth and stability. Parents must provide uniforms and textbooks for their children. Many are unable to send all their children to school at the same time. They are many cases of adults of 18 still trying to finish primary school. Ugandan Schools are provided with very few teaching and learning resources. Textbooks are expensive. Pupils spend most of their time copying from the board or share one book among up to five students. Teachers earn only $55 a month while having to support extended and even poorer family members. Most of the parents cannot afford to provide lunch for their children. The lack of lunch causes poor concentration and lack of focus. Many children need to walk miles to get to a school, often barefoot since the parents cannot afford to buy shoes for their children. The average farming family income in Uganda is around $40 per month. Families survive because they grow most of their own food and subsist on a daily meal of matoke (fried green bananas) and posho (maize flour stiff porridge) with a handful of beans. This diet is principally carbohydrate with few nutrients.There are rarely enough beans for adequate protein.