Limited resources and uneven access to quality teaching hold back learning in underserved schools.
82% of children in Uganda at late primary age cannot read and comprehend a simple story.
Girls remain underrepresented in STEM, with low enrolment, poor performance and high dropout.
52.2% cannot perform mathematics at Primary Two level, as reported in Teach For Uganda’s published reflection on Teach For All.
52 pupils per teacher in government-aided primary schools, on average.
Insufficient change leaders in education for sustained and equitable change.
Schools in underserved areas face large class sizes, teacher shortages, limited learning resources, and gaps in foundational learning. These challenges also affect access to strong STEM learning, especially for girls.
Four sides of the learning crisis
Different measures reveal different barriers. Reading, numeracy, classroom conditions and opportunity in STEM are connected, but the figures below describe different groups and should not be treated as the same test.
Reading & comprehension · 82%
Reading is the doorway to every subject.
About 8 in 10 children in Uganda at late primary age cannot read and comprehend a simple story. The World Bank estimate is 82%, adjusted for children who are out of school. When reading with understanding is missing, learning across every subject becomes harder.
Report sources & context
World Bank Uganda Learning Poverty Brief, April 2024. This estimate draws on the latest available pre-COVID assessment data; it is not a new 2024 classroom test. The ten icons are a rounded illustration of 82%.
Foundational numeracy · 52.2%
Without numeracy, the next lesson gets harder.
52.2% cannot perform mathematics at Primary Two level. Numeracy means understanding and using numbers, including addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Gaps in these skills affect everyday problem-solving and later learning in science and technology.
Report sources & context
Source: Charlotte Iraguha Nsengiyumva, Teach For Uganda’s Managing Director, in the published reflection “Ten years later, Uganda’s education story is still being written” (Teach For All, 10 June 2026). This numeracy figure is a separate measure from the World Bank reading estimate.
Classroom pressure · 52:1
One teacher. Fifty-two learners.
Uwezo’s 2024 assessment reports an average of 52 pupils for every teacher in government-aided primary schools. In a crowded classroom, individual feedback, reading practice and support for learners who fall behind become harder to provide.
Report sources & context
Uwezo National Learning Assessment 2024, published in 2025. The 52:1 ratio applies to government-aided primary schools and is an average, not the class size in every school.
Girls & STEM
Talent is everywhere. Opportunity is not.
Girls remain underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Low enrolment, poor performance and high dropout narrow their opportunities. Strong teaching, women role models and opportunities to experiment can help more girls see a future in STEM.
Report sources & context
Public sources: UNESCO’s research on girls’ and women’s participation in STEM, and Teach For Uganda’s STEM Fellowship programme overview. UNESCO describes global barriers; the programme overview explains the response in Uganda.
Learning today. Leadership for tomorrow.
Teach For Uganda develops Teacher Leaders who work with schools and communities to strengthen foundational literacy, numeracy and STEM learning. Our two-year Fellowship builds leaders who improve learning in classrooms today and continue advancing education equity beyond the Fellowship.
High cost of quality education
that prepares learners to meet the demanding needs of society.
Low prioritization of education
2.5% GDP spent on education (versus the 5% target); ~6% of the national budget in 2025/26 versus >20% target.
Poor policymaking
on education issues
Deficit of change leaders
who understand the contextual challenges within the education sector and are equipped to drive solutions
