Speaker re-echoes need for school fees policy in Uganda

The Speaker of Parliament, Anita Annet Among, has reemphasized the need for a school fees policy can harmonize school fees among schools in Uganda.

The Speaker said learners are dropping out of school because schools charge high fees. The girls, after dropping out of school because of high fees, are getting married at a tender age.

Among, who was presiding over yesterday’s parliament sitting, noted that UPE and USE provide a right to education and hence children should be allowed to study without discrimination.

“Honourable members when you look at Article 34 (2) of the Constitution of Uganda, it entitles all our children to basic education which is bestowed on the responsibility of the state and parents. However we have continued receiving complaints from a number of schools of how school fees have been hiked,” she noted.

The Speaker highlighted that it’s well known Uganda is run on a free market economy but hiked school fees shouldn’t be collected from the parents hence a policy is needed to allow parents to take their children to school.

It should be noted that last month parliament directed the Ministry of Education and Sports to present a statutory instrument to regulate school fees increments.

In February 2022, Tororo District Woman Representative, Sarah Opendi, moved a motion seeking a resolution of Parliament to address the problem of government and private schools charging learners exorbitant fees.

The matter was referred to the Committee of Education and Sport to investigate and make appropriate recommendations to the government for consideration.

However, Cuthbert Abigaba, the Deputy Chairperson of the Committee on Education and Sports, said that the draft report is ready pending a review meeting on 24th January 2023 before the final report is tabled for adoption and subsequent debate.