Literacy Crisis in Uganda Deepens
A 2024 report published by Uwezo Uganda, an independent, non-profit civil society organisation conducting research in the field of education, has revealed that students in Uganda, particularly in rural areas, face significant challenges in reading, comprehension, and translating between English and local languages.
According to the report, the literacy rate in Northern Uganda stands at a notably low 29 percent, while the figures are 35 percent in the East, 46 percent in the West, and 61 percent in the Central region. The relatively higher rate in the central region is attributed to the presence of better-resourced schools with stronger infrastructure.
In schools such as Barinyanga Primary School, located in Uganda’s rural Kamwenge district, overcrowded classrooms make it difficult for teachers to provide individual attention to students. Educators emphasise the importance of early childhood education in the mother tongue, arguing that it enables children to grasp foundational skills more effectively.
Dr Muhammad Kiggundu, from Makerere University—one of the oldest and most prominent higher education institutions in East Africa—pointed out that some teachers continue to use outdated methods and that the shift towards a phonics-based approach has not yet been achieved. Experts note that the current situation negatively affects not only the lower primary levels but also upper classes.
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