DEDICATION

To the Almighty that made me pass through thick and thin till the end of this work;

To my dear wife Bridget Atwine Katagata Muramuzi and our beloved children;

To my dear parents Mr. & Mrs. Peter and Josephine Mpamizo for their enduring love;

To all children and victims of child rights violations;

And to all Human Rights Activists

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The researcher would like to recognize all the persons who encouraged and contributed in one way or another to the realization of this project.

In particular, the following deserve special mention: Msgr. Rev. Fr. John K. Barugahare for the unforgettable intervention in my academic life, Rev. Fr. Valentine Muyambi for the support and encouragement he rendered during the postgraduate studies and the project itself, Mr Francis Aloysius Wazaarwahi Bwengye who did a lot with my postgraduate studies, Rev. Stanley Wareeba for the moral and spirited support to this research project, Mr Deo Mugisha and Mr Leonard Tumusiime for the friendly support and encouragement, Mrs. Jackie Kahindi for that guidance and support rendered.

The entire staff and lecturers of Uganda Martyrs University also deserve a good mention because they were helpful throughout the many years I was at the University, plus of course my fellow course mates who were helpful in one way or the other throughout the course, and definitely the dear young Africans who were the key respondents of the study in Mukono District schools, the enduring teachers, head teachers, MOES staff, district education administrators, parents and all stakeholders for their active involvement in this research.

To you all, the researcher would like to express his sincere gratitude and appreciation for your overt and covert help in the realisation of this project.

Indeed, this research, conducted on “A Universal Right as A Limited Right” and dwelt on Challenges of basic human right to Universal Secondary Education in Mukono district-Uganda was an opportunity for the researcher to acquire added knowledge and better understanding of the challenges that children face in accessing and enjoying their basic human right to universal secondary education as it brought the researcher closer to the realities that a good number of secondary school children pass through in Mukono district. Whereas many people have been involved in this project, the researcher bears sole responsibility for this text and its accuracy rests entirely with him.

ABSTRACT

As you read this, a Primary Seven leaver may be crying because he/she failed to be admitted under the Universal Secondary Education program or has just been circumstantially forced out of it. That is the situation on the ground in terms of children’s right to universal secondary education in Mukono district of Uganda despite its existence in the country for 5 years now since 2007. Ideally, one would expect that with the introduction of Universal Secondary Education in Uganda in 2007, all secondary school going age children should be attending secondary education. It’s saddening to note that despite such a big opportunity of free (or nearly free) secondary education, a good number of students are not attending secondary education. This was the basis of this research because one wonders how A Universal Right to Basic Universal Secondary Education becomes a Limited Right as some children cannot access USE while others that access it cannot continue enjoying that right once they have accessed it to at least up to Senior Four. It’s for this reason that the researcher explored the challenges that students face in accessing and enjoying their basic right to universal secondary education in Mukono district. This research answered the following questions, What are the challenges to students wishing to access their basic right to USE in Mukono district?, What are the challenges that limit students’ continued enjoyment of their basic right to Universal Secondary Education in Mukono district?, To what extent do the challenges faced by the children wishing to access Universal Secondary Education in Mukono district limit their chances to do so?, To what extent do the challenges that limit students continued stay in Universal Secondary Education actually do so in Mukono district?, In which ways can access to Universal Secondary Education in Mukono district be improved to all children? Most stakeholders of USE in Mukono district responded that the program is good but is surrounded by a lot of challenges ranging from the time a student is trying to access it and even after they have accessed it. It’s hoped that if these were solved, many Ugandan children would surely enjoy their right to education. The government pays the money or is willing to pay it but many students don’t access USE and those that access it don’t finish their studies up to Senior Four. Accessing USE is harder for girls than boys because as per the head count of 2009, the enrollment by gender was 56% for boys and 44% for girls 254,289 and196, 898 respectively (MOES: 2009). Apart from the poor enrollment; the completion rate of Senior Four is higher for boys than for girls. The research dwelt very much on the challenges Primary Seven leavers face in accessing their basic right to Universal Secondary Education and why they can’t continue enjoying that basic right once they have accessed it. It was investigated and found out that a big number of Primary Seven leavers don’t access secondary education and even those who access it don’t remain in school as the early school leaving rate is very high. Because of some limitations on the side of the government which were largely financial, admission requirements were later increased from 32 aggregates to 28 aggregates; a situation that left many would-be beneficiaries of USE out of the system.

TABLE OF CONTENT

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ACRONYMS & ABBREVIATIONS

CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Background of the Study

1.1.3 The Notion of Basic Human Right to USE in Mukono District

1.2 Statement of the Problem

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1.3.1 Main Research Objective

Specific Objectives

1.4 Research Questions

1.5 Scope of the Study

1.5.1 Geographical Scope

1.5.2 Content Scope

1.5.3 Time Scope

1.6 Significance of the Study

1.7 Justification for the Study

1.8 Definition of Key Terms

1.9 Conceptual Framework

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.0 Introduction

2.1 The Problem of a Limited Right to Education Worldwide

2.2 The Problem of a Limited Right to Education in Africa

2.3 The Problem of a Limited Right to Education in Uganda

2.4 Challenges of Basic Right to Universal Secondary Education in Mukono District

2.4.1 Poverty

2.4.2 Limited Teacher Stock

2.4.3 Limited Expansion

2.4.4 Limited Policy Development

2.4.5 Irrelevant Quality of Education

2.4.6 Overwhelming Numbers

2.4.7 Limited Infrastructure

2.4.8 Long Distances

2.4.9 High Competitive Marks

2.5 Challenges that Increase Early School Leaving from USE in Mukono District

2.5.1 Poverty

2.5.2 Long distances

2.5.3 Limited Infrastructure

2.5.4 Early Marriages, Early Pregnancies and Desire to Work

2.6 Extent of the Challenges Limiting Access to USE in Mukono District

2.7 Challenges in USE Programme limiting its Continued Enjoyment up to Senior Four

2.8 Ways of Improving Access to USE to all Children in Mukono District

2.9 UNESCO’s Policies and Plans for Secondary Education

CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

3.0 Introduction

3.1 Research Design

3.2 Area of Study

3.3 Study Population

3.4 Sampling Procedures

3.4.1 Sample Size

3.4.2 Sampling Techniques

3.5 Data Collection Methods and Instruments

3.6 Quality Control Methods

3.6.1 Validity

3.6.2 Reliability

3.6.3 Key Informant Interviews

3.7 Data Management and Processing

3.7.1 Research Procedure

3.8 Data Analysis

3.9 Ethical Considerations

3.10 Limitations of the Study

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

4.0 Introduction

4.1. Data Analysis

4.1.1 Factors Affecting Access to Basic Right to USE in Mukono District

4.1.2 Early School Leaving Rate of Students from USE in Mukono District

4.1.3 Extent of the Challenges in USE Programme Limiting its Access

4.1.4 Extent of the Challenges in USE Programme Limiting its Continued Enjoyment

4.1.5 Ways of Improving Access to Universal Secondary Education

4.2.1 Challenges Students Face in Accessing their Basic Right to USE in Mukono District

4.2.2 Factors that Increase Early School Leaving from USE in Mukono District

4.2.3 The Extent to which the Challenges in USE Programme Limit its Access

4.2.4 Extent of the Challenges in USE Programme Limiting its continued Enjoyment

4.2.5 Ways of Improving Children’s Access to their Basic Right to USE in Mukono District

4.3 Summary of Findings

4.4 Conclusion

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

REFERENCES

APPENDIX III

APPENDIX IV

APPENDIX V

APPENDIX V (a)

APPENDIX V (B)

APPENDIX V (C)

APPENDIX V (D)

APPENDIX V (E)

APPENDIX V (F)

APPENDIX V (G)

APPENDIX VI (h)

LIST OF TABLES, FIGURES AND CHARTS

Figure 1 Challenges of Basic USE in Mukono district

Graph 1 Challenges that Increase the Early School Leaving Rate of Students from

USE in Mukono District (Student Respondents)

Graph 2 The extent to which the challenges faced by the children wishing to access universal secondary education limit their chances to do so

Graph 3 Ways by which Access to Universal Secondary Education could easily be made Accessible to all Children (Student Respondents)

Table 1 Distribution of Respondents used in the Study

Table 2 Challenges students face in Accessing their basic Human Right to Universal Secondary Education in Mukono district (All Respondents

Table 3 Challenges that Increase the Early School Leaving Rate of Students from USE

in Mukono District (All Respondents)

Table 4 The Extent to which the Challenges in Universal Secondary Education

Programme limit its Access (All Respondents)

Table 5 The Extent to which the Challenges in Universal Secondary Education Programme limit its continued Enjoyment up to the Completion of Ordinary Level (All Respondents)

Chart 1 Challenges students face in Accessing their basic Human Right to Universal Secondary Education in Mukono district (Student Respondents

Chart 2 The Extent to which the Challenges in Universal Secondary Education Programme limit its continued Enjoyment up to Completion of Ordinary Level (Student Respondents)

Chart 3 Ways by which Access to Universal Secondary Education could easily be made Accessible to all Children (All Respondents)