PARLIAMENT, KAMPALA — The ongoing parliamentary session today has turned attention to the growing challenge of overcrowded classrooms in Uganda’s public primary schools, with Kazo County MP Hon. Dan Kimosho Atwijukire calling for urgent harmonization among government ministries to address the realities facing teachers and learners.
Kimosho told Parliament that some Primary Seven classes have more than 150 pupils, yet government staffing standards can provide only one teacher for such a large class. He questioned how a single teacher can effectively teach, manage and assess such numbers without additional support.
“You find a P7 class with over 150 children, and by government standard, they allocate one teacher,” Kimosho said, highlighting the heavy workload placed on teachers who are expected to teach and mark hundreds of books.
The legislator was contributing to ongoing discussions surrounding parental contributions and support in government schools. He argued that before questioning teachers or schools over such contributions, government should first address the practical challenges created by inadequate staffing and overcrowded classrooms.
Kimosho also raised concern over the current situation in schools amid efforts to tackle corruption and enforce government directives. He said the different measures and policies being implemented have created uncertainty and, in some cases, brought school operations to a standstill.
“There is a standstill right now, Speaker,” he told the House, calling for greater coordination across government.
The Kazo County MP specifically urged the Ministry of Education and Sports, the Ministry of Local Government and other relevant government institutions to harmonize their policies and directives so that schools can operate under clear and practical guidelines.
He said the focus should remain on creating an environment where teachers can effectively teach, learners can study in manageable classes and parents understand their role without being left to shoulder responsibilities created by gaps in government systems.
Kimosho’s intervention comes as Parliament continues its sitting today, placing overcrowding, teacher workload and coordination of education policies at the centre of the ongoing debate on improving the quality of public primary education in Uganda.
