In Uganda, Cost of Attending School Keeps Children Home
2024-12-18
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1The World Bank said last year that 54 percent of adults in Africa south of the Sahara Desert ranked the issue of paying school costs higher than medical or other costs.
2The aid organization said school fees were the biggest financial worry for 40 percent of people in Uganda.
3In that country, a top government-supported school reportedly costs $700 for a three-month term.
4That is a lot of money in a country where yearly economic activity per person was $864 in 2023.
5World Bank information shows that African countries in the area also have the highest rates of children out of school in the world.
6Parents in Uganda report unpredictable increases in the cost of attending school, or tuition, as a cause of tension.
7Some critics are calling for laws to protect parents from exploitation.
8The Equal Opportunities Commission is a government agency that reports on the issues of inequality and discrimination.
9It released a report in September that called for punishment against government-supported schools that demand fees that are too high.
10It warned that arbitrarily raising fees can force children to drop out of school.
11The Uganda Bureau of Statistics says that children's attendance in early grades is about 68 percent.
12But the percentage falls to 22 percent for secondary school.
13The main reason given is financial difficulty.
14Uganda has a program of secondary education for all students.
15It was introduced in 2007. However, schools are not in good condition.
16The schools usually do not require tuition, but parents must pay for uniforms, textbooks and other costs.
17Private schools are more popular but also more costly.
18Spokesperson for the Ministry of Education Dennis Mugimba said the government is not interested in making rules about prices.
19Mugimba said setting private school fees is "purely administrative and it is adjusted according to the business environment."
20But he said costs linked to "capital development" should not be the responsibility of parents.
21The number of private schools across Uganda has increased.
22The Associated Press (AP) reports that they are now a majority of the country's schools.
23But some people with ties to education say placing importance on the profitability of education as a business is worrying.
24Fagil Mandy is a former inspector of schools.
25Mandy said there should be standardized rules to make school fees predictable for everyone.
26It is normal for both private and government-supported schools to request money for many projects.
27These can include buying a bus or purchasing laboratory equipment.
28Shalom Mirembe is a student who spoke to the AP.
29Her mother takes care of four children.
30Her father recently died.
31The school Mirembe attends near Kampala costs $300 per term.
32But her mother sends Mirembe to school without paying.
33She is depending on the mercy of officials.
34But Joanita Seguya, a teacher at Wampewo Ntakke Secondary, said schools are taking measures to bar students from school if their parents do not pay.
35Seguya said of the school's 2100 students, 400 are from families that struggle to pay fees.
36Twenty-year-old Mirembe is taking her final exams this year.
37At one point, school officials were going to bar her from school because her mother had failed to pay the fees.
38But when school administrators found out that her father had died recently, they permitted her to return.
39Some of her teachers attended the funeral.
40But other families are not so fortunate.
41Moses Serikomawa is jobless with seven children.
42He said paying $200 in school fees each term is too much when the family lacks food sometimes.
43But he added, "The children still want to go back to school."
44I'm Mario Ritter, Jr.
1The World Bank said last year that 54 percent of adults in Africa south of the Sahara Desert ranked the issue of paying school costs higher than medical or other costs. 2The aid organization said school fees were the biggest financial worry for 40 percent of people in Uganda. In that country, a top government-supported school reportedly costs $700 for a three-month term. That is a lot of money in a country where yearly economic activity per person was $864 in 2023. 3World Bank information shows that African countries in the area also have the highest rates of children out of school in the world. Parents in Uganda report unpredictable increases in the cost of attending school, or tuition, as a cause of tension. Some critics are calling for laws to protect parents from exploitation. 4The Equal Opportunities Commission is a government agency that reports on the issues of inequality and discrimination. It released a report in September that called for punishment against government-supported schools that demand fees that are too high. It warned that arbitrarily raising fees can force children to drop out of school. 5The Uganda Bureau of Statistics says that children's attendance in early grades is about 68 percent. But the percentage falls to 22 percent for secondary school. The main reason given is financial difficulty. 6Uganda has a program of secondary education for all students. It was introduced in 2007. However, schools are not in good condition. The schools usually do not require tuition, but parents must pay for uniforms, textbooks and other costs. 7Private schools are more popular but also more costly. Spokesperson for the Ministry of Education Dennis Mugimba said the government is not interested in making rules about prices. Mugimba said setting private school fees is "purely administrative and it is adjusted according to the business environment." But he said costs linked to "capital development" should not be the responsibility of parents. 8The number of private schools across Uganda has increased. The Associated Press (AP) reports that they are now a majority of the country's schools. But some people with ties to education say placing importance on the profitability of education as a business is worrying. 9Fagil Mandy is a former inspector of schools. Mandy said there should be standardized rules to make school fees predictable for everyone. 10It is normal for both private and government-supported schools to request money for many projects. These can include buying a bus or purchasing laboratory equipment. 11One student's story 12Shalom Mirembe is a student who spoke to the AP. Her mother takes care of four children. Her father recently died. 13The school Mirembe attends near Kampala costs $300 per term. But her mother sends Mirembe to school without paying. She is depending on the mercy of officials. 14But Joanita Seguya, a teacher at Wampewo Ntakke Secondary, said schools are taking measures to bar students from school if their parents do not pay. Seguya said of the school's 2100 students, 400 are from families that struggle to pay fees. 15Twenty-year-old Mirembe is taking her final exams this year. At one point, school officials were going to bar her from school because her mother had failed to pay the fees. But when school administrators found out that her father had died recently, they permitted her to return. Some of her teachers attended the funeral. 16But other families are not so fortunate. 17Moses Serikomawa is jobless with seven children. He said paying $200 in school fees each term is too much when the family lacks food sometimes. But he added, "The children still want to go back to school." 18I'm Mario Ritter, Jr. 19Rodney Muhumuza reported this story for the Associated Press. Mario Ritter, Jr. adapted it for VOA Learning English. 20______________________________________________ 21Words in This Story 22arbitrarily -adj. not based on a plan or for a specific or good reason 23tuition -n. the stated cost of attending a school or education program 24uniform -n. identical clothing that is worn by people in some professions or by students at certain schools 25fee -n. an amount that must be paid sometimes in addition to other costs 26adjust -v. to change a value or a piece of equipment so that it is correct or is enough 27mercy -n. willingness to forgive or to do something because it appears to be kind or good 28We want to hear from you. 29Our comment policy is here.