Government-aided schools in Uganda have started sending home teachers and support staff paid through Parents' and Teachers' Association (PTA) contributions. This move follows renewed government directives against charging parents fees and other levies. The first to be affected are often teachers hired to cover subjects not adequately covered by the government payroll, alongside cleaners, guards, cooks, and laboratory attendants.
At Bufunjo Seed Secondary School in Kyenjojo District, headteacher Nicolas Mbaine has directed all non-payroll staff to stay away from work "until further notice," pending negotiations. The school previously had 10 teachers and seven non-teaching staff employed on PTA contracts, all of whom are now at home. This has raised concerns about how the remaining staff will cope with the increased workload.
Educationists have warned that the crisis will deepen if the government does not find a solution. Fr John Vianney Ssemujju, Mityana Diocesan Education Officer, said PTA-contracted staff form the backbone of many government-aided schools, plugging gaps the government payroll was never designed to cover. Removing this layer without replacing it will shift the crisis from a funding problem to a learning-loss problem.
The current capitation grants are tied to learners who meet specific UPE/USE eligibility criteria, leaving many who qualify on paper effectively unfunded. Current rates are roughly UGX 6,667 per primary learner per term, UGX 58,000 per O-Level student, and UGX 90,000 per A-Level student. Education bodies have long argued these figures fall well short of actual costs, especially amid inflation.
The National Planning Authority has recommended far higher unit costs, roughly UGX 59,000 to 63,500 for primary and up to UGX 885,000 for upper secondary. With the recommended 1:40 teacher-to-pupil ratio unmet in many schools, institutions have had little choice but to levy extra fees to hire PTA teachers. The government has periodically labelled such charges illegal without closing the gap that produces them.
In 2023, the Cabinet approved an additional UGX 1.48 trillion for education over 2024 to 2028, targeting higher capitation and roughly 78,888 new primary teachers to reach a 40:1 ratio across more than 12,000 understaffed schools. However, this commitment has remained largely unfunded. The latest Education Service Commission data puts the staffing gap in post-primary alone at 42 percent, about 29,000 vacant positions.
Educationists, including Gonzaga Kaswarra, argue that laying off staff will not solve the problem, especially when many schools are already understaffed and under-resourced. A sustainable fee-free policy requires the government to properly cost the education of each learner and fund schools accordingly.
Key points
- The layoffs address the optics of the fees dispute without tackling its cause.
- Proper funding paired with accountability is necessary to resolve the crisis.
- The government must find a better solution to prevent a deepening education crisis.
