UN committee calls on Uganda to provide free public pre-primary education
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has urged Uganda to offer free, state-run pre-primary education for all children. The committee cited financial barriers and limited access, especially for rural children and children with disabilities. Uganda’s current law leaves pre-primary education to private providers, and research shows fewer than 1 in 10 children aged 3–5 were enrolled in a licensed preschool.
The UN review examined how Uganda carries out the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It noted that while primary and secondary schooling are free, early childhood education is not: current law assigns pre-primary provision to private operators, with families covering fees.
Research from 2024 by Human Rights Watch and ISER found that fewer than ten percent of Ugandan children aged three to five attended a registered, licensed preschool, and sixty percent had no schooling before primary. Uganda’s 2025 early childhood policy promises broader inclusive access, but critics call its approach fragmented.
If Uganda moves toward free state-run pre-primary education, low-income and rural families, along with children with disabilities, could gain earlier learning opportunities. That may improve school readiness and reduce some barriers linked to fees and household debt. Private providers might see demand shift, while authorities may need sustained funding and staffing. The actual effect would depend on how fully the policy reaches underserved areas and whether inclusive access is delivered.