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Uganda marks International Day of Education with belated celebration
Uganda belatedly commemorated the International Day of Education at an illustrious event held at Kololo Ceremonial grounds in Kampala, under the theme "Education for Lasting Peace."
Students from several schools around Kampala and other parts of the country converged at the Ceremonial grounds to celebrate 27 years of Universal Primary Education (UPE) in Uganda. During her speech the Vice President, Jessica Alupo underscored the critical role of education in shaping the nation's future and fostering the country’s prosperity. She reiterated the government’s commitment to prioritizing educational investments to ensure sustainable development and equitable opportunities for all citizens.
The Minister of State for Higher Education, John Chrysostom Muyingo led the flagging-off ceremony, starting a march from the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Grounds, accompanied by enthusiastic crowd.
We recognize education as an important tool for bettering society and I upon parents to support and show love to the learners so that they can complete the education cycle by providing the necessary support including school feeding.
The UNESCO Senior Projects Coordinator, Charles Draecabo read out the joint statement prepared by UNESCO and UNICEF on the occasion of the IDE 2024. Draecabo emphasized that, countries with higher learning and years of quality schooling experience fewer conflicts and an increase in safety and security. He called on governments and partners to strengthen efforts to:
Promote equitable domestic public financing for education, prioritizing the most vulnerable children, in order to reduce disparities among students and reach universal coverage.
Emphasize the importance of education in strengthening and sustaining peace, as outlined in SDG4, Target 4.7, through the promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and life skills in line with the Recommendation on Education for Peace, Human Rights and Sustainable Development adopted on 20 November 2023 by 194 UNESCO Member States at the 42nd UNESCO’s General Conference.
Rally multiple stakeholders across different sectors to create a movement, with young people at the center, towards a more robust 21st century education for all children and young people.
More than one in four (29%) school-age children are still out of school on the continent, with a concerning statistic revealing that the out-of-school population in sub-Saharan Africa increased by 12 million over 2015–2021.
While the global observance of the International Day of Education takes place on January 24th annually, Uganda's decided to commemorate the event on March 21. The occasion served as a momentous reflection on a significant milestone for the country - Uganda's journey of 27 years in Universal Primary Education (UPE). From enrolling 2.5 million pupils in 1996 to exceeding 8.6 million by 2023, the nation has showcased remarkable progress in realizing the goals of Universal Primary Education (UPE) over the past three decades.
