The government has resolved to bring back the Parent Teacher Association-PTA fees, the State Minister for Higher Education Chrysostom Muyingo has revealed.
In November 2021, the cabinet scrapped PTA fees, the money contributed by parents to support school activities.
While presenting the cabinet position, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, the Minister in charge of ICT and National Guidance noted that they had realized that Universal Primary Education-UPE and Universal Secondary Education-USE schools were charging learners different charges yet they are meant to be free for all.
Part of the PTA fees are used by Universal primary and secondary schools to provide meals to learners. The money is also used to pay teachers who are not on the government payroll. Although the government was targeting to ensure free and compulsory primary and secondary education when schools reopen on January 10, parents and schools did not support the cabinet decision citing the limited capitation grants provided by the government to schools.
Now, Muyingo says that after several consultations, they agreed to reinstate PTA fees but caution teachers against making it compulsory.
Muyingo notes that feeding learners is the responsibility of their parents, arguing their failure to contribute towards the school feeding program shouldn’t affect the learners.
According to Muyingo, in the financial year 2021, the government increased the capitation grant to UPE schools from Shillings 11,000 to 18,000 per learner annually and Shillings 58,000 from 41,000 Shillings for O’level students per term and Shillings 90,000 from 80,000 for A’ level students.
Schools in Kampala charge between Shillings 50,000 to 80,000 as PTA for the primary level and between Shillings 100,000 to 200,000 for the secondary level. However, the fee is determined by parents through their PTA meetings.
