{UAH} 80% of PLE candidates don't reach S 6 - UNEB

Folks;

Get a load of these data, and weep for our beloved country. 

We are witnessing an accelerated death of a nation. If 80% of primary school leavers do not continue their education to S 6 level, when they should be about 18 years of age, what's the prospect for a bright future for them and Uganda?

While the Uganda National Education Board is launching a study to find out the cause of this massive drop-out, I can venture here one main causation factor: Unplanned Free Primary Education

The launch of free primary education was rushed. The government was acutely aware of inadequate classrooms, inadequate teaching staff and other deficiencies to support the massive increase in school enrollment. As a result, it's common to find a classroom with 80 pupils to 1 teacher!

With this huge classroom size, it's no wonder that only a fraction of pupils will grade up to post primary level. 

And although there has been a remarkable expansion of private secondary schools in the last 25 years, these schools cost a fortune, easily out of the reach of 90% of Ugandan households.

One possible remedy to this high dropout rate is to make education free up to S.6. After that, the government should create student loan facilities for any student to continue education. 

Technical / tertiary education should be free. 

But at the foundation of all these proposals, teacher training schools should be adequately supported in order for them to graduate enough teachers, teachers well-qualified to meet the increasing and varied demands for their services.

The current trend - where schools are producing under-educated youths and releasing them fend for themselves - won't contribute to Uganda's goal to become a middle class, developing nation. 

Flashy, pipe dreams, like prayers, are not plans that achieve anything. The government must wake up to the mess it has created. The restless youths who are today marauding cities and the countryside, are a subset of this drop-out rates.

Pojim

80% of PLE candidates don't reach S.6 - Uneb

80% of PLE candidates don't reach S.6 - Uneb Uneb says even if along the way, the learners go to vocational institutes, such schools do not have the capacity...