James Nathan Nandala Mafabi, the Forum for Democratic-FDC presidential candidate has pledged to increase government funding to schools through capitation grants as one of the means to remove PTA charges and improve the quality of education.
In his manifesto, Mafabi described the current funding as inadequate. The government currently allocates about UGX 20,000 per pupil annually under Universal Primary Education, UGX 58,300 per term for each O-Level student, and UGX 90,000 per term for A-Level students. The FDC said the proposed increase to the rate per pupil would ensure schools have the resources needed to provide better learning conditions and reduce the burden on parents.
“Increase the capitation grant for Universal Primary Education from the current UGX 20,000 to UGX 200,000 per pupil annually. Increase capitation grant for Universal Secondary Education from the current UGX 58,300 for O level and UGX 90,000 for A level to UGX 400,000 per student annually,” the manifesto reads in part. The capitation grant is an annual contribution by the government toward the education of learners. Over the years, educationists and policymakers have been calling on the government to increase the capitation grant due to the heavy expenditures made by schools.
Due to low funding, some schools, most especially those in urban areas, started collecting additional fees dubbed PTA fees to finance their needs. The FDC argues that increasing the capitation grant will reduce the need for schools to collect extra money from parents through PTA fees. The party says such charges are among the leading causes of school dropouts.
According to a report by the Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER) on education accountability, the Ministry of Education allocates UPE capitation grants using a combination of fixed and variable grants. The fixed grant provides each school with UGX 150,000 per month for nine months of the academic year, totaling UGX 1,350,000 annually. The remaining funds are allocated based on a variable component determined by the number of learners enrolled in each school.
According to guidelines, School expenditures that are eligible for the UPE capitation grant include instructional and scholastic materials (35 per cent), co-curricular activities (20 per cent), school management (15 per cent), administration (10 per cent), and contingency expenditure (20 per cent). Wilson Mugerwa, a teacher, welcomed the FDC proposal, saying increased capitation funding could reduce the need for schools to impose extra charges on students. He said many of the additional fees arise because schools lack sufficient funds to operate.
Rogers Lubinga, a parent of four from Wakiso District, said the proposal is good and would promote quality education. He argued that the plan is feasible because Uganda is a wealthy country but loses much of its money to corruption. Redirecting those funds to education, he said, would be the best investment.
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He advised that even if the FDC does not win the election, the incoming government should consider the idea. He suggested piloting it in a few schools for about two years to assess its effectiveness before rolling it out nationwide.
However, Andrew Mugabi Amooti, a resident of Kawempe, held a different view. He said the proposal is good in principle, but expressed doubt about its feasibility. According to him, raising the capitation grant from UGX 20,000 to UGX 200,000 amid rising enrollment would be difficult to sustain.
The government of Uganda has gradually increased the UPE capitation grant, though at a slow rate. In 2017, each learner received UGX 7,000. The amount rose to UGX 17,000 in 2021 and UGX 20,000 in 2022. However, many schools report that they often receive less than the stated amount, usually about UGX 18,000. In a recent interview with URN, State Minister in charge of primary education, Dr. Joyce Moriku Kaducu, said the government plans to raise the overall education budget, including an increase in capitation grants, as part of efforts to make education completely free.
She did not specify how much the increment would be. Earlier, the National Planning Authority (NPA), the government’s central think tank, had expressed concern over the low level of capitation funding. The NPA recommended increasing funding to improve school performance and financial sustainability.
In its education sector issues paper, the NPA proposed annual per-pupil grants of UGX 63,546 for pre-primary and primary learners, UGX 532,720 for lower secondary, and UGX 885,440 for upper secondary students. The Authority also advised that funding allocations should consider factors such as enrollment, inflation, the socioeconomic background of learners, and performance indicators like attendance, completion, and transition rates.
In making a regional comparison, the FDC stated that the Kenyan government spends KSH 25,000 per pupil annually as a capitation grant, equivalent to about UGX 702,947. The party said this shows a sharp contrast between Uganda and Kenya in how they prioritize education. However, checks by our reporter on the Kenyan Parliament website show that the figures cited by the FDC in their manifesto might be inaccurate. In Kenya, capitation grants differ by education level.
Each primary school learner receives KSH 1,420 (UGX 37,740) per year, junior secondary learners get KSH 15,043 (UGX 399,807), and secondary school learners receive KSH 22,244 (UGX 591,192). In another pledge, the FDC promised to review the current competence-based curriculum to ensure its proper implementation. The party argued that many children in school are not learning effectively and that Uganda’s education system has fallen out of step with the country’s needs.
The FDC also vowed to align the salaries of Arts teachers with those of Science teachers. Science teachers would earn additional pay for extra duties such as conducting practical lessons. The party further pledged to provide free sanitary pads and develop a national school feeding policy to address the problem of hunger among students and teachers.