The nationwide Baseline Education Census (BEC) 2025 has hit setbacks in the Kigezi sub-region, with officials citing the ongoing teachers’ strike and the area’s rugged terrain as key challenges.
The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), working with the Ministry of Education and Sports, launched the census in June to collect data from schools and training institutions across the country. The exercise is expected to inform planning, policy, and funding decisions in the education sector.
According to Stephen Baryahirwa, Head of the Social Surveys and Census Department at UBOS, Phase Three of the census, covering Kigezi, Karamoja, West Nile, Tooro, and Rwenzori, kicked off this week. However, he acknowledged that the strike declared by the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) on August 15 has disrupted data collection in government-aided primary schools, where most learners are not in class.
CUE IN BARYAHIRWA…..ON BASELINE CENSUS…..ENG//
The official also pointed to Kigezi’s mountainous terrain as another obstacle, with census teams struggling to reach schools in remote areas despite public awareness campaigns through radio and local announcements.
CUE IN BARYAHIRWA…..ON STRIKE…..ENG//
Aliziki Kaudah Lubega, UBOS Director of Economic Statistics, urged stakeholders to resolve the strike quickly, stressing that incomplete data would undermine education planning.
CUE IN ALIZIK…..ON THE MATTER…..LUG//
