Education and Sports Sector Strategic Plan 2017/18-2019/20

Abstract

Executive Summary Performance of previous ESSP 2007-2015 Uganda's Education and Sports Sector has grown over the past three decades under the leadership of the NRM Government. The sector has made significant gains with regard to pupil and student enrolment growth, quality of education, participation in international sports competitions and on key dimensions such as research publications and innovations at higher education level. These achievements are a testament to the continued deep investment in education and sports by the Government. Development Partners and the Private sector. The Sector made tremendous strides towards achieving these objectives despite challenges of inadequate budget allocations and rapid population growth estimated at 3.0% per annum that put pressure on the existing resources and facilities. In terms of increasing equitable access, the continued implementation of UPE increased enrolment at primary level from 7,537,971 in 2007 to 8,264,317 in 2015. Enrolment at Secondary level increased with the introduction of USE and UPPOLET from 954,328 in 2007 to 1,284,008 in 2015. BTVET enrolment increased from 21,763 in 2007 to 87,963 in 2015 and a similar trend was realized at University level with enrolment growing from 96,821 in 2007 to 198,315 in 2015. The establishment of new schools and training institutions at all levels, construction of new classroom blocks, workshops, renovation and expansion of existing facilities resulted into improvements in the pupil classroom ratio from 72:1 in 2007 to 63:1 in 2015. Nonetheless, the Ministry recognises that a lot still needs to be done with regard to increasing equitable access to quality and relevant education and sports if the country's education system is to stay abreast with the requirements of the job market and global trends. For example, the automation and computerisation of work requires that the graduates are well equipped with IT skills necessary for not only increasing their employability, but also innovativeness and creativity necessary for job creation. Formulation process. The ESSP was developed through a collaborative and consultative process steered by the MOES involving National Planning Authority. Education Development Partners, Local Government actors, Private Sector players and many other stakeholders. The process started with a review of the performance of the previous ESSP 2007-2015, prioritization and strategizing for the next three years 2017-2020 through consultative meetings with Political leadership, Heads of Departments, Development Partners and lower level stake holders at Local Governments through four regional workshops before finally determining cost implications and anticipated resource envelope. Current situation of Uganda's Education sector. A robust SWOT analysis of the Education and Sports Sector revealed a strong political commitment to the Sector and the liberalized education policy that ushered in many non-state education providers as key strengths to act as a springboard that will propel the sector towards achieving its objectives. Notwithstanding the strengths, there are weaknesses and threats that pose challenges to the achievement of its goals like outdated policies and legal frameworks, poor inspection and supervision of schools and the negative perception towards vocational skills-training. Enrolment projections and cost estimates. The Plan is underpinned by a scientific model of the education system that produces internally consistent estimates driven by enrolment growth that helps to derive the concomitant holistic sector resource requirements and investment needs. The model follows each cohort of children from birth until its last member leaves the education system as either a dropout or a completer. The total population to be served is determined by demographic variables including the total population, birth rates. and survival rates and by policies regarding access and re-entry into the formal education system Strategic objectives of the ESSP 2017-2020. The ESSP 2017-2020 is hinged on three major strategic policy objectives aimed at improving equitable access to quality and relevant education in the country. These three strategic objectives are to: (i) achieve equitable access to relevant and quality education and training: (i) ensure delivery of relevant and quality education and training; and (iii) enhance efficiency and effectiveness of education and sports service delivery at all levels. Priority Interventions for ESSP 2017-2020. The priority interventions that the Ministry plans to implement in next three years are based on the 2016-2021 NRM Election Manifesto, the twenty three Presidential guidelines, NDP II, International Policy Commitments and the Sector's SWOT Analysis. To achieve equitable access to relevant and quality education and training, the Government will continue implementing the policy of having a Government Primary School per parish: Government Secondary School in every sub-county, a Government Technical Institute per district as well as operationalizing Soroti University and construction of more classrooms in already existing Primary and Secondary Schools so as to meet the targets of 50:1 pupil classroom ratio and construction of teachers' houses in education institutions, among others Ensuring delivery of quality education and training Under the strategic objective of ensuring delivery of relevant and quality education and training, Government will strengthen the current inspection system by increasing the frequency of inspection of schools and institutions (at least 2 times per school/institution per term) with a special focus on the quality of leadership, management, teaching. the learning process and learner achievement; developing and implementing an education and training assessment policy at all levels that integrates development of skills and competences alongside academic achievement in the final results as well as recruitment of teachers, teacher educators, tutors and lecturers to meet the set standards of PTR and STR respectively. Government will also increase the staff establishment of public Universities from the current 35% on average to at least 55%. Government will also establish an institutional framework for coordinating skills development through establishment of a TVET Council (as an alternative to the Skills Development Authority); enhancing capacity of Universities to teach science and technology through rehabilitation and expansion of science, technology &innovation learning facilities in nine Public Universities among others. In order to ensure efficiency and effectiveness in education and sports service delivery at all levels, Government plans to establish a semi-autonomous body in charge of inspection and supervision of both public and private education and training institutions; strengthen NCHE through increased funding and staffing to improve quality assurance in universities and other higher institutions of learning. restructuring programmes in Public Universities with a view of making them relevant to national development goals; strengthening the EMIS to improve collection and processing of more accurate and timely data for decision-making; develop and implement a policy for regulation of private provision at all levels of education &sports among others. Expected Results. Successful implementation of the above interventions is expected to result into improved Sector outputs and outcomes whose progress is going to be monitored through key result areas outlined in Section 3.3 (Pages 25-27) of the Plan Estimated cost of the ESSP 2017-2020. The planned outputs and outcomes are estimated to cost approximately Shs. 17,947.49 bn, of which the available MTEF allocation is Shs. 7,723.30 bn (43%) and Shs. 10,497.88 8 bn (57%) is the funding gap. The wage bill takes over Shs.4,997.90 bn (63%) of the allocated MTEF, leaving only 37% for operations of the Sector. Implementation arrangement. The ESSP 2017-2020 will be implemented within the Ministry's current procedures for Planning, Budgeting and Annual Reviews in order to meet the requirements of the NRM Manifesto, NDP II. Uganda Vision 2040 and SDGs. Implementation will be undertaken through the SWAP which began in 1998 with its Secretariat in the Education Planning and Policy Analysis Department. The MTBF will be revised every year to reflect revisions to the strategies and interventions of the ESSP 2017- 2020. Uganda's Education SWAP process entails MoES working together with key stakeholders including EDPs to agree on key priorities, and allocation of resources in a manner that enhances efficiency and effectiveness. Monitoring and Evaluation Framework. The Ministry of Education and Sports acts as a coordinating centre for the SWAP for implementing the M&E System in assessing informational needs of all decision makers, disseminating information through comprehensive reporting mechanisms and ensuring that needs are met in an efficient and timely manner. The M&E framework measures progress in achieving priority strategic sector objectives (access, equity, quality and efficiency). Environmental Impact Assessment and Social Safeguards. The implementation of the ESSP 2017-2020 is not expected to make a negative contribution to the environment and to the community. All the planned activities including those that impact directly on the national environment such as provision of construction materials (bricks, roofing timber, etc.) shall be implemented in accordance with the existing National Environmental Legislation and social safeguards to minimize negative effects they cause on the biophysical and human environment.