THE CHALLENGE

• The GoU ECD policy has been in place since 2007. Most ECD programs are limited in coverage and are run by NGOs, multinational organizations and the private sector
• Enrollment in pre-primary schools remains low and concentrated in urban areas, offered by the private sector
• 3 out 100 of all children aged 6-12 years in Uganda are not attending primary education
• There is gender parity in enrollment at primary level but girl child enrollment rates at secondary level is 6% lower than boys
• 7 in 10 children who started primary one never made it to primary seven
• Literacy and numeracy rates in northern and eastern are lower than National averages. Less than 4 out of 10 pupils in these regions are proficient in English and/or Local languages at respective grade levels
• Only 4 in 10 of students who start senior one complete senior 4, depicting a high drop-out rate with girls being more affected (34%) compared to boys (45%)
• Over half of girls enrolled in senior one do not complete senior four
• Only 3 in 10 of those who completed senior four got enrolled into senior five
• Each additional year of schooling increases lifetime earnings by at least 5% making investment in education worthwhile.

OUR INTERVENTION 2

OUR GOAL – STRENGTHEN CHILDREN’S HEALTHY, EMOTIONAL AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

Objective 1: BETTER EDUCATION. Support children’s engagement in and benefit from quality development and education opportunities in the home and in the community
Strategies

1. Strengthen parenting practices through positive parenting skills building and psychosocial support
2. Increase access in all regions to community and institution based early childhood development services
3. Improve proficiency in literacy at primary and secondary levels
4. Increase persistence rates to the end of primary and transition to secondary for girls and boys
5. Promote positive parenting
6. Enhance access to ECD services
7. School authorities and structures such as SMCs should promote community and school-level initiatives to counsel and inspire children and families to keep children in school and learning
8. Improve sanitation standards in schools and support initiatives to make sanitary pads more accessible to girls
9. Prevent and mitigate violence in schools
10. MOESTS should collect systematic data on survival rates through secondary school level through its EMIS