The report, based on a study conducted in 48 schools across Yumbe, Namayingo, and Sheema districts, shows that despite considerable efforts by the government and education stakeholders to improve funding and address teacher issues, the lack of governance and accountability is hindering progress in these areas.
A new report by the Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER) has highlighted critical governance and accountability issues plaguing Uganda’s primary education system.
The report, based on a study conducted in 48 schools across Yumbe, Namayingo, and Sheema districts, shows that despite considerable efforts by the government and education stakeholders to improve funding and address teacher issues, the lack of governance and accountability is hindering progress in these areas.
“Governance and accountability are particularly foundational to efficient use of limited and inelastic public funding for education. While funding for primary education increased with the introduction of UPE, governance and accountability have remained problematic,” the report reads in part.
While presenting the findings, Michael Wafana, the lead researcher, said despite the existence of national and local government mechanisms to support governance and accountability in schools, on-the-ground systems, including School Management Committees (SMCs), are facing several limitations that hinder their effectiveness.
“The Challenges faced by School Management Committees are many including failure to plan and budget for the school, Ineffective supervision of the headteachers, Elite capture by the headteachers and Inability to demand and ensure accountability,” said Wafana.
The report also highlighted that many School Management Committees (SMCs) have incompetent members, with most being appointed and unaware of their roles. For instance, during the field study, the research found that several SMC treasurers and vice-chairpersons could not accurately report the total funds received by their schools from capitation grants and other sources.
"While the headteacher is legally an ex-officio member and should provide technical advice to the SMC, in practice, they often end up overseeing the SMC’s functions," the report stated.
This lack of financial awareness points to a broader issue: the headteacher’s role often evolves from being a supervisor of the SMC to a dominant figure controlling its activities.
The qualifications and composition of SMCs are also concerning, the reports showed that many members lack the technical expertise needed for effective governance. For example, at Nangoma Friends Primary School, one of the sample schools in Namayingo District, the highest level of education among SMC members was S.3, while the others were P.7 graduates.
The report also noted that although some schools have members with post-secondary qualifications and graduates, other committees include individuals who have never attended school, often selected for their local fame, or political connections, or simply appointed at the discretion of the foundation bodies.
Several heads of foundation bodies interviewed by the researchers acknowledged that many of the individuals appointed to committees lack academic qualifications. For example, Hajji Mahmood Katerega Namuguze from the Uganda Muslim Education Association agreed that while they previously prioritized religion when selecting SMC members, they are now placing a greater emphasis on educational levels.
“As foundation bodies, we are strengthening our presence in the schools at least by ensuring that the chairperson is an elite. Previously, we considered the persons that pray in the mosque but now we are looking at the capacity. I am looking at an elite not about high levels of education but demonstrated capacity to lead and be able to understand documents,” Hajj Katerega.
He added that UMEA does not typically appoint highly educated individuals, as those who express interest often become frustrated. He also noted that although the association would prefer someone with at least an O-level certificate, they sometimes find that no one in the community has completed that level of education.
According to the Education Act, SMCs consist of 12 members, with six (50 percent) appointed by the foundation bodies. The committee includes a Local Government representative from the district or municipality level, a representative from the sub-county or division, a local council member, one parent, one teacher representative, and an alumnus, with the headteacher serving as an ex officio member and secretary of the committee.
However, the study, along with a review of other available documents, revealed that existing regulations offer vague guidelines for the roles of SMCs, primarily focusing on the responsibilities of headteachers.
"This lack of clarity in defining SMC functions can lead to confusion and conflict within school management," the report warned.
The report also noted that SMCs have largely become passive entities, primarily approving budgets prepared by headteachers without holding them accountable for additional school fees collected. This raises further concerns about the composition of finance sub-committees, which often include non-SMC members, such as teachers, complicating governance even more.
Additionally, the report indicated that the role of Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), which were historically influential in school governance, has diminished since the introduction of Universal Primary Education (UPE). While PTAs exist in all schools, there is no legal framework defining their composition, roles, or functions, leaving them with limited or no authority.
To strengthen accountability and governance issues, the report offered a series of recommendations, chief among them the urgent need to review the current School Management Committee Regulations.
“Review the current School Management Committee Regulations to provide for; Academic qualifications for its members, remuneration, and their roles and responsibilities explicitly provided,” the report states. It also calls for reducing the representation of foundation bodies on SMCs from 50 percent to 30 percent and increasing parents' representation from the current one person to at least three representatives.
Recently, there has been significant debate surrounding SMCs as a crucial area that needs empowerment to strengthen the education sector, ensure accountability for teachers and headteachers, and facilitate better planning and discussions.
However, the National Planning Authority has called for the disbandment of these school-based committees, advocating instead for administrative unit-based bodies, such as Sub-County Education Boards or zonal education boards. These proposed boards would include representatives from all key stakeholders to oversee and supervise public primary education matters in the sub-county.
Hajj Ismeal Mulindwa, the Director of Basic Education at the Ministry of Education and Sports, welcomed the report, acknowledging that it raises several critical issues. He confirmed that the recommended review of the guidelines on SMCs will be undertaken as part of a broader review of the Education Act.
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However, he emphasized that some recommendations, such as remuneration, capacity building, and training, should be directed toward foundation bodies. He pointed out that these foundation bodies need not wait for the Ministry of Education to take action, as many, particularly faith-based institutions, already have established education departments capable of managing these responsibilities effectively.