Education budget requires a 440% boost to meet quality goals

Uganda spends just 2.7% of its GDP on education, compared to an East African average of 4.2%, and a global benchmark of 4–6 % recommended by UNESCO.

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda will need to increase its education budget by a staggering 440 percent if it is to provide quality education for its fast-growing population and meet its 2040 development targets, a new report has revealed.

The report, dubbed “Uganda Human Capital Dev’t and Growth Review Report 2025,” paints a sobering picture of an education system under severe strain, with overcrowded classrooms, underpaid and overworked teachers, poor learning outcomes, and deep inequalities threatening decades of progress made since the introduction of free primary education in 1997.

“To expand with quality by 2040 requires the education budget to grow by 440 percent, 360,000 new teachers, more than doubling the existing number of classrooms, and a near fourfold increase in textbooks,” the summary of the key findings reads in part. The report, jointly done by the government of Uganda and the World Bank and released last week, indicated that Uganda’s population is growing at about 3 percent per year, one of the fastest rates in the world, and that growth is being felt acutely in schools.

As a result, classrooms are overcrowded, with an average pupil-to-teacher ratio of 53:1 and worse in some regions where the ratio can go up to 100:1, far above recommended standards. Many children drop out early or repeat grades. About 18 percent of Primary One pupils repeated the class in 2019/20, and only 60 percent of pupils who start primary education complete P7.

Even those who stay in school often fail to acquire basic literacy and numeracy skills. According to the report, 65 percent of Primary Six students lack minimum proficiency in English, while 48 percent struggle with numeracy. Adjusted for actual learning, Ugandan children receive the equivalent of just 4.3 years of effective schooling, despite spending an average of 6.8 years in school. Currently, public spending on education remains far below international and regional benchmarks.

Uganda spends just 2.7 percent of its GDP on education, compared to an East African average of 4.2 percent and a global benchmark of 4–6 percent recommended by UNESCO. This underinvestment has forced households to shoulder an increasing share of the costs. for instance, for every 1000 shillings the government spends on primary education, households spend about 1,450, according to the 2019/20 Uganda National Household Survey.

Budget figures recently presented by Finance Minister Matia Kasaija reveal a concerning reduction in education funding. Although education spending had slightly increased in previous years, reaching about 8% of the total national budget in 2024/2025, the current allocation has been cut by over 810 billion shillings. The government now plans to spend 5.04 trillion shillings on education, representing only 6.97% of the projected 72.376 trillion-shilling national budget.

Experts have long criticized this funding shortfall. In a recent interview, Professor Anthony Mugagga, Principal of Makerere University’s College of Education and External Studies, expressed his disappointment, stressing that the budget cuts contradict the growing needs of the education sector. “It’s disheartening,” Mugagga said. “The number of school-going children continues to rise, along with the demand for resources, yet the education budget is shrinking. At this pace, government priorities like promoting science education will remain unmet due to insufficient funding.”

He warned that without bold and unprecedented investments, millions of children risk being left behind, endangering Uganda’s broader human capital development goals. With limited funds injected into the education sector, the impact of underinvestment is unevenly felt across the country. Education outcomes differ significantly between wealthy and poor households, urban and rural areas, as well as refugee-hosting communities, compared to other regions. The report warns that without targeted investments to address these disparities, existing inequalities are likely to worsen.

Some progress and opportunities

Despite these challenges, Uganda has made notable progress in expanding access to education. The introduction of Universal Primary Education (UPE) in 1997 and Universal Secondary Education (USE) helped triple primary school enrollment within two decades. Uganda has also pioneered inclusive policies such as free education for refugees, instruction in local languages, and initiatives for children with disabilities and adolescent mothers.

Recent policy reforms offer hope that Uganda can build on this foundation. The Education Management Information System (EMIS) is being upgraded to improve data-driven decision-making and eliminate ghost schools and teachers. A new Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) policy and the TVET Act aim to better prepare children for school and align vocational training with labor market needs.