Matooke Republic
Sunday, July 6, 2025
  • Home
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Gossip
  • Features
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Health
  • Photos
  • Relationships
Matooke Republic
  • Home
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Gossip
  • Features
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Health
  • Photos
  • Relationships
No Result
View All Result
Matooke Republic
No Result
View All Result

Liberia with a GDP of $2.18bn declared university education free but Uganda with $25.89 billion is struggling with PLE, USE

Alex Taremwa by Alex Taremwa
October 25, 2018
in Featured Stories, News
Reading Time: 2 mins read
64
SHARES
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
President George Weah. Photo: Facebook/GeorgeWeah

Former FIFA Best Player cum Liberian President, George Weah declared that university education for undergraduates in all public universities was to be free of charge going forward. 

Weah’s announcement was met by jubilations across the continent but also caused pain in some countries such as Uganda where university education is too expensive and the jobs almost non-existent. 

With a GDP of $2.18bn according to 2017 World Bank statistics, Liberia is going to pull what some of Africa’s ‘big boys’ have failed to do in years. Uganda, for example, launched the Universal Primary Education in 1997 and despite the number of pupils that sit Primary Seven, almost half drop out of school due to lack of food, scholastic materials and school facilities such as classrooms, teachers. 

RELATED POSTS

Properties owned by late billionaire Aponye at risk of auction over Shs15 billion loan arrears

NUP launches probe into allegations of extortion and sexual harassment in exchange for party tickets

According to the World Bank, Uganda has a GDP of $25.89bn almost 10 times the size of Liberia’s. How therefore is Liberia succeeding where Uganda is failing?

Private vs Public

The answer to the above question can best be found in the management of private and public entities in Uganda. 

It is not a secret that all public primary and secondary schools in Uganda have become a shadow of themselves except for those in the hands of the Churches. The rest such as Kitgum High School, Sir Samuel Baker in Gulu, Kigezi High School, Makobore High School and others no longer feature even in the top 50 best performing schools yet previously dominated these positions. 

At University level, the public universities have become synonymous with strikes from both students and staff over allowances, poor welfare while the private ones continue to raise tuition fees every semester to the detriment of the parents, guardians and sponsors. 

At Uganda Christian University, Mukono for example, a law course of over Shs4m a semester. The story is not different at Uganda Martyrs University which marks 25 years on Friday 26, 2018. 

Like the Ministry of Education itself, public universities in Uganda are grossly underfunded while the private ones live off the tuition fees of their students and are plagued by high taxes, utilities and larger than life cost of living. 

Although the recommended percentage every country is advised to allocate to education by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) is 26%, the 2018/19 Ugandan budget could only manage 8%. 

This leaves public universities at the mercy of the government to meet operational costs in order to maintain a fairy affordable fees structure. 

Nonetheless, the rate at which students drop out of university due to tuition-related challenges best for a quick reform in how university education is delivered. 

As President Weah said; “We will never be successful, as a government, if we do not place more emphasis on the development of our human capital and, as such, we have to invest in quality education.”

Related

Tags: George WeahLiberia
Share62Tweet1Send
Alex Taremwa

Alex Taremwa

Founder of The Workshop Uganda

Related Posts

2022 WORLD CUP: Reactions to Timothy Weah, the Liberian president’s son, representing and scoring for the United States

by Matooke Republic
3 years ago

...

The Best African Performances at a World Cup Finals

by Matooke Republic
3 years ago

...

Next Post

Kobs, Pirates dash for Uganda Cup glory

How JKL Dolphins stole a march on UCU Lady Canons

RECOMMENDED

Johnnie Walker commemorates first She Walks anniversary with a powerful celebration of women in leadership

July 5, 2025
Article by Aamir Hussain, the Head, Corporate Banking at United Bank for Africa Uganda Ltd.

OPINION: Corporate Banking provides value to society

July 4, 2025
  • 643 Followers
  • 23.9k Followers

MOST VIEWED

  • Here is how to use NIRA’s new online portal to register or renew your national ID

    3819 shares
    Share 1528 Tweet 955
  • Dj Karo finally wins over Cedric Babu’s heart, introduction underway

    180 shares
    Share 72 Tweet 45
  • Kampala University proprietor Prof Kateregga’s wife rejects DNA results indicating one of three children is not his, demands fresh test in the United States

    90 shares
    Share 36 Tweet 23
  • DNA test confirms late MP Ssegirinya was father to only 4 of 9 children presented after his death

    89 shares
    Share 36 Tweet 22
  • Pastor Bugingo’s daughter Doreen Gift awarded scholarship to Arizona State University in the US

    59 shares
    Share 24 Tweet 15
Matooke Republic

Uganda's only free Newspaper. Out every Thursday. Freshly peeled info. kiwatule, Kampala, Uganda.

  • Home
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Gossip
  • Features
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Health
  • Photos

© Matooke Republic 2024

© Matooke Republic 2024

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.