Uganda’s education sector has been profoundly reshaped since the introduction of Universal Primary Education (UPE) in 1997, which removed tuition fees and rapidly expanded access to schooling across the country. This fact sheet provides a concise overview of key education reforms since 1997 - including Universal Secondary Education (USE), strengthened BTVET programming, the National Teacher Policy, and the competency-based lower secondary curriculum - highlighting how policy shifts have influenced enrollment, infrastructure, staffing, and learner progression.

Drawing on national education statistics and assessment evidence, the fact sheet summarizes major gains such as expanded enrollment, growth in public schools and teacher numbers, and improved gender parity at primary level, while also documenting persistent challenges. These include overcrowded classrooms, stark pupil–teacher ratio disparities across regions, weak learning outcomes, and low retention and completion rates along the education pipeline, with vulnerable regions and disadvantaged learners bearing the greatest burden. Overall, the fact sheet underscores the need to shift from access alone toward improving education quality, equity, and relevance in Uganda’s post-UPE era.