General Implementation Guidelines: Universal Post Primary Education and Training (UPPET) Adaptable Program Lending (APL) Project

Abstract

1.0 Background Uganda faces the challenge of meeting the growing demand for an educated, skilled and competitive work force as well as ensuring equity in access to quality education to meet the dual goal of sustained economic growth and poverty. A number of reform programmes have been introduced to address the challenges (i.e. introduction of Universal Primary Education (UPE), rehabilitation and/or construction of science laboratories and libraries in various schools through ADB; provision of science kits and laboratory equipment and reagents in various schools, recruitment of more teachers, organizing in- service training, introducing computer science education and laboratories in schools. In 2007 Government introduced Universal Post Primary Education and Training (UPPET) and consequently Universal Secondary Education (USE) to cater for poor students who graduated from UPE. The enrollment increased tremendously thereby outnumbering the available infrastructures like classrooms, laboratories, library and sanitation. Government re-introduced the double shift system in secondary schools under the USE scheme as a temporary measure to address the increasing number of students. However, the system was to be phased out when more classrooms were constructed. The financial resources for education are constrained and Government has strengthened partnership with the private sector to counteract the imbalance. In the support of implementation of UPPET, the Government of Uganda has received credit from the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank. The UPPET programme was approved by IDA on 31st March 2009 and by the Republic of Uganda on 2nd July 2009. The legal agreement was signed on 27th August 2009. UPPET is designed as an Adaptable Programme Lending (APL) to be implemented over a 10 year period as per the following three phases: Phase 1 (2009-2011) - $150million; Phase 2 (2012-2014) - S 125 million; Phase 3 (2015-2018) -$100 million.