Janet Museveni kicked off a big school counting project across Uganda last Thursday. She wants to fix the problem of fake student numbers that schools report. This happened at a health conference in Jinja. The Uganda Bureau of Statistics will team up with her Education Ministry for this huge task starting April 7, 2025.
Schools often claim they have more kids than they actually teach just to grab extra cash from the government. The Minister said Dr. Mwebesa talked about this trick where schools report students who aren't even there. She hopes this count will finally solve the issue after many failed attempts. The census will check every school, from little kids to college students.
The government loses serious money when it pays for make-believe students. Right now, each regular child in public primary schools gets 20,000 shillings, and kids with special needs receive 22,000 shillings. When schools pad their numbers, they pocket money for ghost students. This cash could help real students with better buildings, teacher training, and learning materials.
Museveni stressed that this census should give exact enrollment figures and stop the misuse of government funds. She spoke plainly about what happens when people cheat the system: "When you are stealing from your government, please remember that you are actually stealing from yourself. " The Minister believes accurate counting will help direct education money where it belongs.
Schools often claim they have more kids than they actually teach just to grab extra cash from the government. The Minister said Dr. Mwebesa talked about this trick where schools report students who aren't even there. She hopes this count will finally solve the issue after many failed attempts. The census will check every school, from little kids to college students.
The government loses serious money when it pays for make-believe students. Right now, each regular child in public primary schools gets 20,000 shillings, and kids with special needs receive 22,000 shillings. When schools pad their numbers, they pocket money for ghost students. This cash could help real students with better buildings, teacher training, and learning materials.
Museveni stressed that this census should give exact enrollment figures and stop the misuse of government funds. She spoke plainly about what happens when people cheat the system: "When you are stealing from your government, please remember that you are actually stealing from yourself. " The Minister believes accurate counting will help direct education money where it belongs.
