Uganda’s State Minister for Primary Education, Dr Joyce Kaducu, has admitted that the country faces a major setback in girls’ education, with low transition rates from primary to secondary schools undermining years of government investment.
Speaking at a three-day conference on girls’ education in Kampala, Dr Kaducu said the problem persists despite the launch of Universal Primary Education in 1997, which boosted enrolment.
‘Whereas enrolment has increased to 52.5 percent following the introduction of UPE, and majority of our learners sit for Primary Leaving Examinations, the transition percent is quite low for the girls as compared to the boys,’ she said.
‘There is a very critical gap. Once a girl completes secondary education, they become empowered and better citizens in terms of motherhood and function, as opposed to a girl who has not completed,’ she added.
Current figures show that only about 21 percent of girls make it to secondary school compared to 23 percent of boys.
The conference, titled What Works in Girls’ Education, has drawn hundreds of educationists from October 1 to 3 to discuss challenges such as negative cultural norms, high costs, and sexual violence that often lead to teenage pregnancy.
Dr Kaducu also raised concern about the performance gap in science subjects. ‘Much as girls outnumber the boys at primary level, the boys perform better than the girls in science subjects and many other subjects. At UCE, there are fewer girls than boys. At UACE it actually reduced further,’ she noted.
She added that the gender imbalance was stark at university level. ‘In 2021, intake for core courses like Medicine and Surgery showed that in some universities like Gulu, no single girl was taken. At Soroti, only one or two girls were admitted. Only Makerere and Mbarara admitted a few girls.’
Mr Cleophus Mugenyi, Commissioner for Basic Education and acting Director for Basic and Secondary Education, stressed the national impact of the crisis. ‘When girls are educated, families are uplifted, communities prosper and nations advance. It is no surprise it has often been said, if you educate a woman, you educate the nation,’ he said.
Dr Mary Gorreti, Executive Director of Uwezo Uganda, echoed the concerns. ‘We are seeing more than ever before many girls entering education systems, but there are still very many factors that stop girls from enjoying the benefits of education. Child marriage, outdated teaching approaches, technology, financial challenges,’ she said.