School Effectiveness In Uganda

Author : Harriet Betty Nannyonjo
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 272 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (795 download)

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Download or read book School Effectiveness in Uganda written by Harriet Betty Nannyonjo and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Uganda{u2019}s education sector has had a troubled history, including a sharp deterioration during the 1970s. The Education Policy Review Commission put in place in 1987 culminated into a white paper, which made recommendations for implementation of the Universal Education (UPE) Policy. The UPE policy resulted in massive increases in enrolment, which could not be matched by rate of provision of inputs with limited funding available to the sector. This study was prompted by the need for improved efficiency in use of education resources. The hypothesis is that school factors vary across schools depending on organization and management systems. Further, the level of educational inputs, and student background characteristics influence pupils{u2019} scholastic achievement. This study used a sample of 3950 primary six pupils in Uganda, selected from 200 schools to study the relationship of various factors with pupils{u2019} test scores. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used in data collection and analysis. Results of this study point to some critical areas where improvements need to be made in order to improve pupil performance possibly with fewer resources. The results specifically apply to primary six pupils in Uganda. Results of this study suggest considerable variation in level of inputs by school ownership and location. There is also a considerable variation in pupil performance. School inputs like funding per pupil, time spent teaching a subject, availability of textbooks, had a positive but small correlation with pupils{u2019} text scores. On the other hand, class size, number of pupils per bench, had a negative but small correlation with pupils{u2019} test scores. Teacher and head teacher qualification, except for university education appear to have little influence on primary six pupils{u2019} test scores in Uganda. In-service training has little influence on test scores, and the possibility is lack of linkage between primary teacher education and the primary education curriculum. Teacher experience and age have a positive, but non-linear relationship with pupils{u2019} test scores. Other factors found to have a positive influence on pupils{u2019} test scores include parental education, speaking both vernacular and English at home, number of books at home. Factors that have a negative influence on pupil{u2019}s test scores include; family size, repetition and pupil{u2019}s age, number of books at home, distance of school from pupil{u2019}s home. This study provides some evidence that provision of school inputs alone explains a small proportion of the variation in pupils{u2019} performance. This study also emphasises the need for a balance between availability and usage of resources, a point clearly demonstrated in case of textbooks, where textbook availability at the school level as a positive but small correlation with test scores, whereas pupils{u2019} use of their own textbooks and the number of textbooks at home have a significant relationship with test scores.