The government has blamed inadequate funding and rapid population growth for slowing the implementation of key education policies, despite a strong legal and policy framework already in place.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Sports Kedrace Turyagyenda said Uganda has developed and in some cases legislated multiple policies across the sector, but translating them into tangible outcomes remains a major challenge.
"We have quite a number of policies, almost everything is in place, but implementation has been the challenge," she said, emphasizing a renewed government focus on execution.
Turyagyenda revealed that about 1.5 million children are born in Uganda annually, placing increasing strain on the education system as they reach school-going age.
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"This requires massive investment in classrooms, teachers and learning materials, yet the economy is not growing at the same rate," she noted.
She warned that limited resources have made it difficult to meet demand, raising concerns about access and quality of education for all learners.
The Permanent Secretary also cited weak accountability and negative mindsets among some stakeholders as longstanding barriers, though she said reforms are underway to enforce performance standards and strengthen monitoring.
Government is prioritizing implementation of policies on early childhood education, universal secondary education, and technical and vocational training, alongside improving assessment systems.
Turyagyenda underscored the need to improve teacher quality, pointing to the 2019 national teacher policy aimed at strengthening professional development and competencies.
She said authorities are now adopting a more practical, results-driven approach testing interventions and scaling up what works to ensure policies move beyond paper and deliver impact in classrooms.
Despite the challenges, she expressed optimism that with stronger coordination, accountability and investment, Uganda can close the gap between policy and practice in the education sector.
