Education Ministry Clarifies Implementation Timeline for Fees Elimination Policy

Dr. Denis Mugimba, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, has clarified that although Cabinet approved the free education funding policy, its implementation is tied to the financial year, not the calendar year.

Mugimba explained that the budget for the new financial year 2024/2025, is typically finalized in July, and the implementation of the policy is expected to commence at that time.

The official school calendar for the academic year 2024 indicates that by July, schools will be in the midst of the second term.

This clarification suggests that parents may need to adjust their expectations and financial plans accordingly.

Mugimba provided further details, stating that if the budget is approved, the Ministry intends to initiate the policy’s implementation with the Universal Primary Education (UPE) program.

The focus will be on addressing gaps that have led to the imposition of additional fees by school boards and Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs). The Universal Secondary Education (USE) program will be included in the following financial year.

However, the availability of funds for this purpose remains uncertain.

Recent reports from parliament indicate that officials from the Ministry of Education have expressed doubts about the program’s implementation as originally intended. It was revealed that the requested funds for the program were not allocated in the 2024/2025 national budget framework.

Cabinet approved an additional budget of Shs1.48 trillion to support the Universal Primary Education (UPE) program from the financial year 2024/2025 to 2027/2028, with an anticipated allocation of Shs309.16 billion in the first year.

The policy injecting more funding into the Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Universal Secondary Education (USE) programs  seeks to gradually eliminate and eventually eradicate all fees currently borne by parents.