Education System In Uganda (3-7-4-2-3+)
Government Plans and Priorities in the Education Sector
The government of Uganda attaches great importance to improvement of education services since education plays a vital role in promoting sustainable development through improving the people’s skills as well as raising awareness on various issues of national importance including improving general standards of living. There has been a remarkable change in this sector over the past years, especially since the inception of the Universal Education Programmes. More schools, institutions, colleges and universities have been established; and enrolments in all these institutions have exponentially increased. The private sector participation in the education sector has also been remarkable to the extent that education is increasingly being seen as an export sector.The education system has a 3-7-4-2-3+ structure. In other words: 3 years of pre-primary/nursery school, 7 years of primary, 4 years of lower secondary, 2 years of upper secondary and at least 3 years of higher education. Higher education is offered by universities and other institutes and colleges in both the public and private sector.
Education is compulsory during primary school, with pupils aged 6 to 13. Primary education is taught in the local language and in English. The language of secondary and higher education is English.
Primary education
Primary education lasts 7 years and ends with the Primary School Leaving Certificate. Education is mandatory for pupils aged 6 to 13. The curriculum of classes 1 to 3 consists of themes from daily life, such as the human body and health, peace and security, animals and plants. Pupils with a native language other than English are recommended to be taught in the local language. However, the subject of English itself is taught in English.Secondary education
Secondary education comprises 6 years and consists of lower secondary for the first 4 years and upper secondary for the last 2 years. The age group of lower secondary is 13 to 17. Lower secondary is also called Ordinary Level. Students take a minimum of 8 and a maximum of 10 subjects.After 2 years of upper secondary, students receive the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE). They will be around age 19 at this point. They will take a combination of 3 subjects at Principal level and 2 subjects at Subsidiary level, of which the subject general paper is mandatory.
Assessment systems >> classification in secondary education:
| 1 - 2 | Very good |
| 3 - 6 | Pass with credit |
| 7 - 8 | Subject pass |
| 9 | Fail |
Assessment systems >> classification in secondary education:
| Classification | Preconditions |
| Division One |
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| Division Two |
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| Division Three |
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| Division Four |
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Assessment systems >> Higher education
| Letter | Grade Point | Percentage |
| A+ | 5.0 | 90-100 |
| A | 5.0 | 80-89.9 |
| B+ | 4.5 | 75-79.9 |
| B | 4.0 | 70-74.9 |
| B- | 3.5 | 65-69.9 |
| C+ | 3.0 | 60-64-9 |
| C | 2.5 | 55-59.9 |
| C- | 2.0 | 50-54.9 |
| D+ | 1.5 | 45-49.9 |
| D | 1.0 | 40-44.9 |
| D- | 0.5 | 35-39.9 |
| E | 0 | Below 35 |
Assessment systems >> Higher education
| CGPA | Classification | Description |
| 4.40-5.00 | Distinction / First Class / First Class Honours | Excellent |
| 3.60-4.39 | Upper Credit / Second Class (Upper Division) / Second Class Honours (Upper Division) | Very Good |
| 2.80-3.59 | Lower Credit / Second Class (Lower Division) / Second Class Honours (Lower Division) | Good |
| 2.00-2.79 | Pass / Third | Fair |
| 0.00-1.99 | Fail | Poor |
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OTHER IMPORTANT LINKS
Uganda National Examination Board (UNEB)Ministry of Education and Sports
Uganda Business and Tecnhical Examinations Board
National Curriculum Development Centre
National Council for Higher Education