Uganda School Overwhelmed: 538 Pupils Share Three Teachers Amidst Severe Shortages

At Paleo NFE School in Nebbi District, Uganda, a stark reality unfolds daily: 538 children are crammed into just three classrooms, taught by only three teachers. The school, operating for 25 years on a small plot, grapples with an overwhelming pupil-teacher ratio, particularly in the lower grades. Primary One alone has 340 students assigned to a single teacher, a situation far exceeding the recommended 1:53 ratio.

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Each year when children finished P.2, they had nowhere to go. To continue, they had to trek 4km to Azingu or 3km to Omyer, and so many of them dropped out. It broke our hearts, but we had no classroom to give them.

The physical learning environment mirrors this crisis. Primary One students are taught in a single, overcrowded classroom, while those in Primary Two and Three face similar challenges. Lower-grade pupils sit on the floor due to a lack of desks. The Primary Three learners study in a donated grass-thatched structure, a makeshift solution for a class that previously had no dedicated space, forcing many students to drop out.

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We had more teachers before. But the Ministry terminated them for lacking qualifications. Now it is just three of us struggling with 538 pupils.

Headteacher Teddy Oyeru explained that the teaching staff has dwindled as several teachers were terminated for lacking required qualifications. The remaining three teachers, including Oyeru who juggles administrative duties with teaching, are struggling to manage the student population. Parents, mostly peasant farmers, have limited capacity to assist the school.

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We have written to the Ministry to have all our NFE schools elevated to fully fledged primary schools.

Oyeru appealed to education stakeholders and local leaders for help in acquiring more land, essential for developing proper infrastructure. Nebbi District education officer Innocent Openjtho confirmed the district has requested the Ministry of Education and Sports to upgrade all seven Non-Formal Education centers into fully fledged primary schools. While aware of the dire conditions, the district hesitates to close these centers, fearing it would lead to more children dropping out of school.

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We are aware of the overwhelming number of learners in those NFE schools, but we can't just close them because we have few teachers or limited structures. We fear these learners may drop out, so we rather kee