Education ministry, UBOS explain education census data collection until June 2025

11 April 2025, 11:11 am

By Ronald Ssemagonja

The Minister of State for Primary Education in the Ministry of Education and Sports, Hon. Joyce Kaducu, has confirmed to the media and the general public that her ministry began conducting the Baseline Education Census Data collection, which commenced on 7th April 2025. Kaducu stated that the exercise initially started within the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area, including Kampala, Wakiso, and Mukono Districts. It will then be rolled out to the rest of the country at the beginning of the second term, continuing until 30th June 2025.

“The Baseline Education Census will collect information on learners, teachers, and school infrastructure to facilitate planning and policy decisions in the education sector. The exercise will cover all learning institutions in the country, including both private and government establishments, namely pre-primary, primary, secondary, vocational, and higher learning institutions. It is important to note that respondents will be required to provide data on family and learner information, such as name, date of birth, sex, class, nationality, learner identification number (LIN) for registered learners on the Education Management Information Systems (EMIS) portal, National Identification number/student pass/refugee ID (where applicable), as well as any special needs of the learner,” Kaducu said.

According to the minister, the required information in various categories will include the following:

Teaching Staff Information: Name, date of birth, sex, nationality, NIN/Work permit/refugee ID (where applicable), subjects taught, Teacher Management Information System (TMIS) number, highest teaching qualification, and highest level of education.

Non-Teaching Staff Information: Institution’s identity and location, institution’s type, ownership, sex composition, founding year, UPE/USE status, and institution’s contact details.

Infrastructure: Number and size of classrooms, laboratories, libraries, toilets and washrooms, stores, sports facilities, workshops, and teacher housing. Teaching and learning materials, infrastructure, and the status of the institution’s main source of energy/power supply.

“The Ministry of Education and Sports, in collaboration with Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), appeals to the general public, heads of schools and institutions, and local government authorities to cooperate with the enumerators. We specifically appeal to parents to support the exercise by providing correct information about their learners,” Kaducu emphasised.

On behalf of UBOS, spokesperson Dadicus Okoth stated that they estimate using 8,500 enumerators, of whom 4,000 have already been trained and deployed in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area. “As a Bureau, we are ready. The cost of the census is estimated at 27 billion Uganda Shillings. After the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area, we will begin in other regions in the second term, continuing until June 30th, 2025. With the support of all stakeholders, we are confident this exercise will be a success,” he said.