While most presidential contenders are promising free education for all, the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) is charting a different course, one that challenges the popular narrative and digs deeper into Uganda’s education crisis.
In its 2026 election manifesto, the party argues that the real problem is not affordability but the declining quality of education in public schools. “Education in Uganda has registered progress quantitatively, not qualitatively. Access to school has improved over the years, but not the quality of learning they are receiving,” the manifesto reads in part.
The ANT position comes at a time when reports from both government agencies and independent monitors paint a worrying picture of what is actually happening in Uganda’s classrooms. A 2024 assessment by the Directorate of Education Standards found that 64 out of every 100 learners are not learning effectively, meaning only 36 per cent are achieving the expected outcomes.
Similarly, Uwezo Uganda’s National Learning Assessment Report under the Are Our Children Learning? The series shows that the percentage of pupils in Primary Three to Seven who could read and understand a Primary Two-level story in their local language dropped from 30 per cent in 2021 to 20 per cent in 2024.
For ANT, these statistics are evidence that Uganda’s education system is struggling under the weight of teacher absenteeism, overcrowded classrooms, shortages of teaching materials, and poor school feeding programs. The party insists that before promising “education where no coin is paid,” any responsible government must first fix the fundamentals.
Dr Tonny Mukasa Lusambu, a seasoned educationist, agrees that the country’s biggest challenge is no longer access, but quality. However, he warns that while campaign promises sound impressive, implementation has always been Uganda’s Achilles heel.
Dr Lusambu adds that Uganda is not ready for blanket free education. Instead, he proposes a shared responsibility model where government, parents, and communities each play a role in supporting children’s learning.
Similarly, Musazamiru Kakooza, the Deputy Speaker of Nansana Division, says parents would willingly move their children from expensive private schools if public schools offered quality education.
Lilian Ndagire, a resident of Nabweru, says the promise of free education is a long-standing illusion and agrees with ANT’s position that parents should now focus on demanding quality learning for their children.
“Free education has been talked about for decades, but look at our schools,” she says. “Children still lack teachers, books, and meals. What we need is quality, not empty promises.”
The ANT manifesto also takes aim at policies that have widened the rural-urban education gap, particularly the automatic promotion policy introduced years ago on the advice of the World Bank. The policy allows learners to advance to the next class regardless of performance, a move critics say has undermined standards.
Ali Matovu, a Kampala resident, calls ANT’s proposal to abolish automatic promotion “the most practical idea among campaign promises.” He says that automatic promotion has ruined education in Uganda. “How do you promote a learner who has not passed? That’s why people now call public schools bonna bakone. When they reach Primary Seven, they fail with UUUU.”
ANT’s manifesto goes further to address what it calls a silent but growing crisis: the rise of violence, homosexuality, and substance abuse in schools. The party describes these as serious threats to the safety and moral well-being of learners, accusing the current system of turning a blind eye.
The party pledges to strengthen guidance and counselling, tighten supervision, and enhance community involvement to make schools safer. “Under the ANT government, learners will study in environments protected from drugs, substance abuse, sodomy, and violence. We believe such a conducive environment will nurture peaceful Ugandans with values that protect our culture and society,” the manifesto states.
Where ANT aligns with the NRM and NUP is on the need to vocationalize education, making learning more practical and relevant to job creation. The party says schools must equip learners with hands-on skills rather than focusing solely on academic grades.
Other notable pledges include scrapping State House scholarships and introducing a fair, transparent scholarship system; increasing funding for special needs education and hiring more specialised teachers; and reintegrating school dropouts, especially girls, back into the education system.
Analysts say that if implemented, the shift could redefine the country’s education policy, from one that celebrates enrolment numbers to one that truly measures learning.