After 16 years of publishing its flagship learning assessment report, Are Our Children Learning?, which tracks learning outcomes among school-aged children across Uganda, Uwezo Uganda is entering a new phase.
The organisation has launched a four-year strategic plan aimed at bridging the gap between data and action.
Valued at 24.4 billion shillings ($6.7 million), the plan shifts focus from simply producing reports to ensuring that the evidence gathered translates into real improvements in classrooms, homes, and education policies.
Speaking at the launch of the plan in Kampala, Dr. Mary Goretti Nakabugo, Executive Director of Uwezo Uganda, emphasised the need to make the organisation’s work more impactful. She noted that Uwezo has produced extensive data on learning outcomes in Uganda but now seeks to ensure that this evidence is actively used by a broader set of stakeholders.
“We want to go beyond just publishing reports,” said Dr. Nakabugo. “We aim to ensure that the evidence we generate is used not just by the ministry and central government, but also by local governments, teachers, schools, and parents. Only then can we start seeing real improvement in children’s learning.”
Uwezo Uganda’s main function is to generate and curate evidence on learning outcomes and life skills, and to use this evidence to engage both policy actors and citizens in addressing the learning crisis. In its new strategy, Uwezo places a strong focus on assessments, research, engagement and influence emphasizing clear, targeted communication with diverse audiences to ensure the evidence leads to meaningful change.
According to the strategy document, engaging local actors, such as parents, teachers, schools, community groups, and local leaders, and encouraging them to adapt their education practices based on Uwezo’s evidence can directly support long-term impact.
“Engagement and influence will be central to our work. We are investing in formats and channels that make our content accessible and actionable for specific groups,” Dr. Nakabugo explained.
Dr john Mugo, Executive Director Zizi Afrique Foundation, also echoed this move warning that without effective dissemination and engagement, even the best evidence risks becoming irrelevant. “Partnerships and shared learning will be key in turning evidence into community-wide change. Research must go beyond academic publication it has to be democratized and made useful to those it is meant to serve.”
At a time when most African countries, including Uganda, were focused on increasing school enrollment to ensure that every child goes to school, Uwezo took a different approach by asking a critical question: Are children learning? This question struck at the heart of the education system and revealed deeply troubling results.
For instance, this year’s report shows a worrying decline in foundational literacy and numeracy. The percentage of P3 to P7 pupils who could read and understand a P2-level local language story dropped from 30 percent in 2021 to 20 percent in 2024. Among P7 pupils alone, the ability to comprehend a P2-level local language story fell from 68 percent to 51.1 percent.
Similarly, the proportion of P3 to P7 learners who could read a P2-level English story and complete basic arithmetic tasks declined from 30 percent to 20 percent, reflecting little progress in learning recovery efforts. Most concerning is the growing number of children who have not achieved basic proficiency in English. In 2021, 11.3 percent of P7 learners had not reached P2-level English competency. By 2024, this number had nearly doubled to 23.2 percent.
While literacy outcomes are declining, numeracy showed slight improvements. The proportion of P3–P7 learners able to solve all four basic arithmetic operations rose from 50 percent in 2021 to 60 percent in 2024. Among 10-year-olds, proficiency increased from 20 percent to 30 percent.
However, despite the consistent release of such data, the reports often make headlines and then fade from public attention, with little visible change on the ground. Uwezo hopes its new strategy will change that.
For the next four years, Uwezo also want to integrate another approach grounded in the idea of positive deviance and learning from communities that succeed against the odds.
“We are not just pointing out what’s wrong,” Dr. Nakabugo said. “We want to study places where things are working and understand what’s behind that success. If we can identify what drives better outcomes in unexpected places, others can learn from those examples.”
Another key issue raised at the launch was funding. Several people expressed concern about shrinking financial support, especially from external sources. Dr. Nakabugo acknowledged the challenge and said Uwezo is working to strengthen local partnerships. She cited a collaboration with a community-based organisation in Sheema District as an example of how local actors can play a bigger role in supporting and using research.
Also speaking at the event, Baraka Mgohamwende, Executive Director of Uwezo Tanzania, commended Uwezo’s evidence-based work, saying it is helping to paint a more accurate picture of learning in the region. He urged central governments to recognise and fund such initiatives.
“The evidence produced by Uwezo is helping to present a clearer, fact-based picture of the education sector and learning outcomes in the region,” he said “Government leaders need to recognise that others are stepping up to support Uwezo’s work, so the government itself should also provide direct funding. This kind of data is critical for planning, monitoring, and evaluating the education sector. When the government supports such initiatives, it builds trust and encourages more partners to come on board.”
Uwezo Uganda officially became an independent non-governmental organisation in January 2020, after functioning as a program of Twaweza East Africa from 2009 to 2019. Before its independence, Uwezo Uganda was a key program of the Twaweza East Africa initiative running in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzaniawith aim of improving education qualitythrough citizen engagement.