ICT Minister Dr. Chris Baryomunsi has issued a stern warning to public schools, particularly those under the Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Universal Secondary Education (USE) programs, over charging learners extra fees.

His statement comes as schools resume for the first term of the academic school calendar on February 03rd, 2025.

Speaking to journalists at the Uganda Media Center , Dr. Baryomunsi condemned head teachers of public schools to desist from charging prohibitive fees to learners as this defeats the agenda of a free and compulsory education for all learners in these schools.

The giant minister said the government is aware of the challenges posed by school fees and the burden it places on families. Dr. Baryomunsi reassured parents and students that the government is working on measures to address these challenges.

“We are still concerned about the fees that are being charged in government schools, especially in UPE and USE. We are making all arrangements possible, and very soon we will announce measures to facilitate the situation” he added.

Uganda’s Universal Primary Education (UPE) program encompasses approximately 12,512 schools, serving around 7,953,933 learners. Each learner receives an annual capitation grant of UGX 20,000, with an increased amount of UGX 22,000 allocated for those with special needs. Additionally, each UPE school receives UGX 1,350,000 annually to support operational costs.

In the Universal Secondary Education (USE) program, there are about 1,268 schools catering to approximately 781,990 students. The annual capitation grant per student is UGX 175,000, with UGX 192,500 designated for students with special needs. For students in the Universal Post-O-Level Education and Training (UPOLET) program, the grant is UGX 270,000 per year.

The bold Minister also hinted on the practice of schools expelling students on the first day of school for failing to pay fees.

“There are schools that want to chase away students on the first day just because they haven’t paid their fees. This is not acceptable,” he said.

He asked schools to be more lenient and accommodating, allowing students to continue their education even if there are some delays in fee payments.

“We should be focused on education, not chasing away students,” Dr. Baryomunsi said