Support Schools for Uganda (SSFU) is a Non-Profit Organization incorporated in 2015 (Incorporation Number 210953), whose goal is “Working together for the wellbeing of children and youth”. SSFU aims to transform the lives of disadvantaged Ugandans in their journey to obtain quality education
A society of hope where every child can grow up happy, educated, confident and inspire future generations
To advocate for the protection of children’s right to inclusive and equitable quality education, help them expand their lifelong learning opportunities to reach their full potential and break the cycle of poverty
Despite great progress in the last few years since Ugandan government launched UPE, many children still lack quality education. Thus, lack of quality education is one of the surest ways of transmitting poverty from generation to generation. Education is a vital human right, enshrined in the Uganda’s 1995 Constitution, Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Every girl and every boy should have the right to a quality education so that they can have more chances in life, including employment opportunities, better health and also participation in the political process.
The mandate of the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) is: "To provide quality education and Sports services in the country which are constitutional obligations for the Ugandan State and Government."
The Mission of the MoES is: "To provide for technical support, guide, coordinate, regulate, and promote the delivery of quality education and sports to all persons in Uganda; for national integration, individual and national development."
The Vision for MoES is: "Quality Education and Sports for All."
According to the Education Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP) 2004 - 2015, the implementation of the UPE policy of free tuition at primary school level since 1997 has had two important effects on enrolment:
Following the launch of UPE in 1997, enrolment increased from over two million pupils to the current almost eight million. To address challenges of the transition to post-primary education, the UPPET programme was launched in February 2007, making Uganda the first country in Africa to provide free education at this level. Consequently, enrolment grew rapidly.
The government is also concurrently exploring options for revitalization and strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to provide demand-driven skills under the encapsulating term of 'Skilling Uganda'.
In 1997, the Ugandan government introduced the Universal Primary Education (UPE) program to improve enrollment and attainment in primary schools. For parents within the poor communities, this national policy allowed them an opportunity to have their children in primary school. This led to an increase in numbers of pupils in UPE schools. However the UPE is not entirely free and UNESCO estimates that about 68% of children drop out of primary school due to the cost of stationery, exam fees, uniforms and tuition fees are a challenge for poor parents.
In 2007, Uganda became the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to introduce Universal Secondary Education (USE). Coming 10 years after it introduced Universal Primary Education, it represented a bold step by President Yoweri Museveni’s government. However, this has shown a direct pressure to learning facilities, quality and even teachers required.
Today, there is an observed chance that although access is improved, quality has reduced. Education is an end in itself. Education helps one to understand and demand the full realization of the rights enshrined in the Constitution. Therefore, SSFU seeks to improve the poor quality of education in Uganda by working together with communities, schools, teachers, learners, parents, academics, researchers and the government. We build an understanding of the educational system, whilst drawing attention to problems faced by schools and their communities. Equipped with this knowledge, SSFU offers a new way for people to participate and bring change to education and society.
