Parents' perceptions of universal primary education in Kotido District, Uganda

Victoria A. Namukwaya
Bugema University, Uganda
Israel Kibirige
University of Limpopo, South Africa

Universal primary education (UPE) is a crucial strategy for the global target of Education for All, but several countries failed to meet the 2015 mark. This study investigated parents' perceptions of UPE in Kotido District, Uganda. Data were collected during face to face interviews from 36 purposively selected parents who had school-age children. The results indicate that whilst parents perceived UPE positively, only 13 (36.1%) had all their school-age children enrolled in primary schools. The reasons which influenced parents' decisions were socioeconomic, environmental, and cultural. The study also revealed that 32 (88.9%) parents had not attained formal education, which may have influenced their perceived value of education and their choices to enrol children in UPE. Also, parents were cynical about the survival of Karimojong pastoralist culture with the successful implementation of UPE. This study contributes to the understanding of factors that influence access to primary education and recommends more parental involvement in designing further education strategies that suit marginalised communities worldwide.
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Authors: Victoria A. Namukwaya (Post Graduate School, Department of Development Studies, Bugema University, Kampala, Uganda) is a social and developmental worker. She holds a BA in social work and a Masters in development studies. She worked in Kotido District for six years as a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Uganda, and has a passion for equal access to quality education. Email: vnamukwaya@yahoo.co.uk Israel Kibirige (corresponding author) is a Research Associate Professor in the Department of Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education (DMSTE) at the University of Limpopo, South Africa. His research ranges from Indigenous knowledge to methods of teaching sciences. He has interests in equal access to quality education. He has published in national and international journals. Email: israel.kibirige@ul.ac.za, kibirigei@gmail.com Please cite as: Namukwaya, V. A. & Kibirige, I. (2019). Parents' perceptions of universal primary education in Kotido District, Uganda. Issues in Educational Research, 29(2), 502-518. http://www.iier.org.au/iier29/namukwaya.pdf