UBOS survey shows sharp improvement in school attendance and literacy levels

A new report by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics has revealed major improvements in Uganda’s education sector, with school attendance and literacy levels registering steady growth over the last three years.

The findings are contained in the Uganda Harmonized Integrated Survey (UHIS) covering the 2021/22, 2023/24 and 2024/25 survey waves, released in Kampala on Wednesday.

According to the report, the proportion of children aged between six and 12 years attending school increased significantly from 85.5 percent in 2021/22 to 94.6 percent in 2024/25, representing a 9.1 percentage-point improvement.

The survey showed that school attendance improved consistently for both boys and girls. In 2024/25, attendance among girls stood at 94.9 percent, slightly higher than the 94.3 percent recorded among boys.

The report also highlighted improved learner retention rates across primary education levels. Among pupils who were in Primary One in 2021/22, about 97.1 percent were still in school by 2024/25.

Retention, however, declined progressively in upper primary classes. Among learners who were in Primary Seven in 2021/22, only 75.5 percent were still attending school in 2024/25.

At secondary level, the survey revealed even sharper declines in retention as learners advanced through school. While 89.9 percent of students who were in Senior One in 2021/22 were still in school in 2024/25, the figure dropped to 41.5 percent for those who had been in Senior Four.

Female learners generally recorded better retention rates than males, particularly in upper primary and lower secondary classes. For example, 80.8 percent of girls who were in Primary Seven in 2021/22 were still in school by 2024/25, compared to 69.6 percent of boys.

Similarly, among learners who were in Senior Four in 2021/22, nearly half of the girls, at 49.5 percent, remained in school in 2024/25 compared to 34.8 percent of boys.

The UHIS findings further pointed to remarkable improvements in literacy rates across the country. National literacy among persons aged 10 years and above rose from 73.6 percent in 2021/22 to 85.3 percent in 2024/25.

Male literacy increased from 78.1 percent to 92 percent during the period, while female literacy rose from 69.4 percent to 80.2 percent.

Rural areas posted the strongest gains in literacy. The literacy rate in rural communities rose from 67.8 percent in 2021/22 to 83.2 percent in 2024/25, narrowing the gap with urban areas, where literacy improved from 84.5 percent to 91.1 percent.

The report indicates that the improvements in school attendance and literacy reflect gradual progress in access to education and learning outcomes across the country, although retention at higher education levels remains a challenge.