Private schools shun new online registration system
The director of Basic and Secondary Education at the Ministry of Education and Sports, Mr Ismael Mulindwa. Photo/Courtesy of Uganda Media Centre X handle
What you need to know:
- In 2019, the Ministry of Education developed the Education Management Information System (EMIS) to eliminate ghost learners and teachers and ensure easier planning and management of education institutions.
The Ministry of Education and Sports has raised concerns after observing that half of the private schools across the country are declining to register learners on the new registration system.
Speaking at a sensitisation workshop for private schools and institutions in Nakawa last Friday, the director of Basic and Secondary Education at the ministry, Mr Ismael Mulindwa, said while the utilisation of the Education Management Information System (EMIS) among public schools stands at 99 percent, several private schools are falling behind.
He said out of 14,272 government institutions, 14,168 have successfully registered learners onto the system.
In contrast, only 30,519 out of 60,529 private schools have enrolled their learners in the system, representing 50 percent.
“These statistics clearly highlight the disparity in response rates between private and public schools. As the Ministry of Education, we need comprehensive statistics from both private and public education institutions to facilitate effective planning, budgeting, and monitoring,” Mr Mulindwa said.
In terms of student enrollment, out of the 1.5 million secondary learners registered so far on the EMIS, 967,049 are from government schools while 596,000 are from private schools.
At the primary level, out of the 9.9 million learners registered on the system, 8.4 million learners are from government schools, while only 1.5 million are from private schools.
Mr Mulindwa said the ministry is set to commence capacity-building engagements for heads of institutions across all local governments, with a keen emphasis on private schools.
“I urge all private education institutions to join this initiative and ensure the upload of information on EMIS to enable the ministry and the government at large to plan for its population,” Mr Mulindwa urged.
While some heads of institutions said they have shunned the system over fears that the government wants to use the information to tax them, many said they cannot enroll their learners in the system.
Mr Yafesi Nalondo, the head teacher of Makonge Mixed Primary School, stated said lack of knowledge about the system has left many people uncertain about the appropriate steps to take.
He added that parents are not providing their children’s data, leaving schools with limited options.
“We have not been told what to do hence schools have also paid a deaf ear as far as enrolling learners is concerned,” Mr Nalondo said.
Mr Ronald Suuna, the chairperson of private schools in Nansana, said: “The system is online, and uploading information requires substantial time and resources. Imagine the time and data needed to upload information for over 1,000 learners.”
He suggested that the system should have been offline to provide schools with more flexibility.
About EMIS
In 2019, the Ministry of Education developed the Education Management Information System (EMIS) to eliminate ghost learners and teachers and ensure easier planning and management of education institutions.
Under the new system, data on individual learners and their parents/guardians is collected through online filing. The information captured includes their transfers, promotions, and transitions between institutions.
