Search Page

According to a report elaborated by auditors from a nonprofit group based in Indiana, County principals have too much power and should be reined in to improve education in the school district. In order to avoid disparities, auditors have recommended limiting principal's powers and holding them for accountable for mistakes, as well as determining which decisions can be made at school level and which must be made by the central office.

Few people enter the teaching profession for the money. Teachers repeatedly describe it as "a vocation", widely recognized as a euphemism for poorly paid. But for a few enterprising teachers, the education system is rife with opportunities for personal financial gain. A report on corruption in education, published this week by UNESCO highlights ways in which heads, teachers and education officials can extort and embezzle school funds.

There is a certain frustration at the Mpraeso Secondary School over the administration's attempts to improve accountability and transparency. The implementation of anti-corruption measures through the automation of accounting and administrative procedures as a means of checking and curbing corruption has been bogged by official apathy. The computerization programme, 'School Management Programme', that could have cost the school about ¢5 million a few months ago will now cost the school almost double that amount.

Federal government has blacklisted 232 individuals from participating in the conduct of examinations. The affected persons include school principals, supervisors, invigilators and examiners. 324 secondary schools had earlier been derecognized as centers for public examinations. The state had over 50 of its schools blacklisted in the exercise.

Results from last year's Uganda Certificate of Education exams show that 2,742 students have not obtained their exam due to cheating, and seven schools lost examination center status. Even in the employment sector many executives' qualifications have been found wanting least of all in professions as lofty as law. A judge had to resign for forging academic papers in the 1990s.

MPIGI district has dismissed over 73 primary school head teachers over incompetence and lack of proper academic qualifications. About 50 schools were given new head teachers. Over 100 teachers were examined. The exercise was part of the district's primary schools re-organisation programme aimed at improving education standards.

Over 300 ghost teachers have been registered in universal primary education schools in the Mukono district. According to the Chairman of the district education committee, five schools in the remote areas were headed by one person. The high number of fake teachers has led to poor performance in schools because of very few teachers compared to the number on the payroll.

According to the education minister, primary school head teachers will be required to sign performance agreements every year. Many pupils had not attained the desirable learning competency in literacy and numeracy partly because of the slackness, absenteeism and lack of commitment from the head teachers. The assessment guidelines and the tracking of the teachers' performance will help to create a more fair and verifiable system.