The Ugandan government has issued a strong warning to schools still charging learners under the Universal Primary Education (UPE) programme, declaring that the era of disguised fees must come to an end. Officials say primary education is to be accessed without any form of payment, reaffirming the original promise that no child should be excluded from school because of poverty.
Introduced in 1997, UPE was a landmark reform aimed at opening classroom doors to children from low-income and vulnerable households. The policy dramatically increased enrolment nationwide, giving millions of young Ugandans the chance to begin their educational journey. However, over time, some schools began imposing various charges despite the “free education” framework.
These payments have often appeared under different labels, including lunch contributions, development costs, and examination fees. For many families, especially those already struggling financially, such charges have created significant hardship. In some cases, children have reportedly been sent home for failing to clear these payments.
A 2023 investigation by the Equal Opportunities Commission exposed widespread concerns about unregulated and escalating levies in UPE schools. The findings revealed that even institutions fully funded by public resources were demanding extra money from parents, largely due to limited oversight and gaps in government capitation grants.
Speaking during the 2026 Senior One placement exercise, the Minister of State for Higher Education, John Chrysostom Muyingo, made it clear that the government will no longer tolerate the practice. He stressed that every Ugandan child must access primary education without paying a single coin, describing foundational learning as a gateway to lifelong opportunity.
At the same time, government leaders highlighted parallel investments aimed at absorbing the growing number of learners completing Primary Seven. Since 2019, more than 200 seed secondary schools have been established across the country, with dozens more under construction to expand capacity and ease congestion in existing institutions.
Support has also been extended to community schools through wage assistance and Universal Secondary Education capitation grants. Officials say these measures are part of a broader plan to strengthen the education pipeline and ensure that learners can transition smoothly to secondary or vocational training without facing financial barriers.
With hundreds of thousands of candidates qualifying annually for further study, authorities are also promoting technical and vocational pathways under the recently enacted TVET framework. By reinforcing free primary education and expanding post-primary opportunities, the government says it is determined to build a system that is inclusive, equitable, and truly accessible to every child in Uganda.
