School Registration In Uganda
School registration is the process of acquiring an official certificate or record, for an educational institution to operate. You must register if you will provide full-time education for 5 or more pupils of compulsory school age with an education. School must be registered at the Registrar General’s Department. School must be registered at the Local Authority where it is located.
Procedure For School Registration In Uganda
Private primary school permit can be obtained from Ministry of Education and sports as required by Education statute Act 2008.
The intending proprietor should collect forms for licensing a private primary school from MoES HQ/district/Municipal Education Office and fills them in triplicate following requirements as listed below.
An identifiable proprietor; he/she must be a person/organization of good reputation, no criminal record and with the necessary funds to manage the type of institution proposed to be established.
An intending proprietor has to get recommendation letters from LCI, LCIII and opinion/religious leader.
The planned school/institution must conform to the District/Municipal Education Plan and must be in line with the revised Education Sector Strategic Plan.
Written proof of ownership or lease of land on which the school/institution is to be situated or tenancy agreement that is valid for at least (5) five years for a secondary school and 8 years for a primary school (in case of hired buildings)
Which must have been designed and constructed for purposes of a school.
There must be enough land for expansion, playgrounds, school garden and physical education (urban schools may be considered as special cases).
There must be a development plan particularly for the licence period, and proof that 10% of the development plan funds are available.
With these in place, the intending proprietor writes to the Permanent Secretary (PS/ES), MoES, explaining his intensions and requesting for guidance.
Fill up the application form as prescribed by the Ministry of Education and sports and must be approved by the District Education Officer (DEO)
The proprietor seeks inspection of the school/institution by DIS/MIS and D/MHI to assess compliance with the requirements stipulated in Section 31 of the Education – (Pre-Primary, Primary and Post-Primary) Act 2008.
The District/Municipal Inspectors of Schools (D/MIS) and District/Municipal Health inspectors (D/MHI) after inspection write detailed inspection reports, and endorse the application forms and forwards to DEO/MEO to endorse application form as well.
The District/Municipal Education Officer forwards (3) three copies of the application forms and the relevant supporting documents on (3) three files to the PS/ES (in case of post primary) and CAO/Town Clerk (in case of Primary).
The PS/ES (in case of post primary), CAO/Town Clerk (in case of primary), basing on the reports or recommendations from the district or a report following a physical inspection by the inspectors, approves or rejects the application for licensing.
The PS/ES/CAO/Town Clerk upon approval awards an operational licence to the school/institution to last for (2) two school years as stipulated in Section 32 of the Education–(Pre – Primary,Primary and Post-Primary)Act 2008,and copies of the licence are also sent to the Director for Directorate of Education Standards, District/Municipal Education Officer, and District /Municipal Inspector of Schools.
MoES/DEO/MEO retains one file; the second file is for the DEO (in case of post primary) and the third file is for the school. The proprietor ensures that the school is given a copy.
Six months to the expiry of the two – year licence, the proprietor collects from the MoES (Headquarter), District/Municipal Education Offices a form for Registration.
In case the school does not qualify for registration, the proprietor must apply for renewal of license within one month of expiry of the license and it is granted once. License renewal is for one year only. If at the end of the year of renewal the proprietor is not ready to register the school, it will be closed summarily by PS/ES.
All new schools/institutions should start at the beginning of the academic year as set out in the schools/institutions calendar issued from time to time by the Ministry of Education and Sports. Applications for licensing schools, such as Pre – Primary, Primary and Secondary schools, should therefore be submitted to the PS/ES /CAO/Town Clerk starting from June. Licenses will be issued by the 30th December so that schools can start in January or February of the preceding year.
The proprietor must provide copies of the occupancy permit for the school structures.
Required Documents For School Registration In Uganda
The proprietor with intention to operate a Primary School must have the following.
Qualified Head teacher not below Grade Teaching Certificate in primary education,and must be registered with the Ministry of Education and Sports.
A list of all teachers registered and/or licensed with Ministry of Education and Sports.
Documents showing administrative and financial records.
A school bank account.
Key statutory documents(e.g.Constitution of the Republic of Uganda(1995)
Functional School Management Committee(SMC),constituted in accordance with the SMC Guidelines and Education–(Pre-Primary ,Primary and Post-Primary)Act 2008 and must be approved by DEO.
A minimum of one staff house on, or near the school compound.
At least 5 acres of land located within a safe and secure environment.(Urban areas can be given special consideration) but classroom size(floor area)should not be below 5.8m by 8.8m (51.04 m2)or 5.8m by 7.8m (45.24 m2).
Proper security arrangement (in accordance with the Basic Requirements and Minimum Standards stipulated in the Disaster reduction and risk management guidelines by Directorate of Education Standards,Ministry of Education and Sports).
First Aid kits.
An enrolment of not more than 40 pupils per class per teacher.
Appropriate sitting facilities for the learners.
Provision of safe drinking water.
One pit latrine stance or toilet(squatting/Asian type preferred) for every 40 pupils by sex.
Eligibility For School Registration In Uganda
Any person, who wants to set up a primary, can apply.
The person or chairman of the school should be aware of the fact that the schools registered independently must operate in terms of the constraints set by the Constitution and National as well as District legislation.
Fees For School Registration In Uganda
Please approach the department office for any other fees details BUT license and registration of schools is free of charge.
Validity For School Registration In Uganda
Validity: for period of 2 years
Documents To Use For School Registration In Uganda
Required Information For School Registration In Uganda
Particulars of the applicant
Particulars of the school
Capital costs
Business information
Particulars of staff composition
Information Which Might Help For School Registration In Uganda
The broad sector objectives are expansion of access to equitable and quality education at all levels as well as enhancement of efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery.
To enable private Schools/institutions to operate legally, the sector plays the following roles:
Training all teachers using the same syllabi to teach either in Private or Government aided schools/institutions for national standardization.
This is the stock from which private schools select, employ and present to MoES at the time of licensing/registration of the schools.
Providing policy guidelines, which affect both Private and Government aided schools/Institutions.
Organizing improvement seminars/workshops and in-service courses, which bring together staff from both Private and Government aided schools/institutions.
Issuing minimum requirements and minimum standard indicators that are used by both partners as a measure for delivery of quality educational services.
Carrying out school inspections by the Directorate of Education Standards (DES) and the District/Municipal Inspectorates so as to ensure that minimum standards are kept and also to provide support supervision in both Private and Government aided schools/institutions.
Providing professional support to the teachers, Head teachers, learners and the parents in both Private and Government aided schools/institutions under the provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, 1995.
Setting, marking and issuing licenses and registration certificates to private schools for public examinations (by examination bodies).
Keep a register of all schools in the country, both government and private.
Registering of teachers
Role of the proprietors.
The proprietor sets up the school/institution and is therefore the vision bearer.
He/she advises the BOG/SMC to ensure that the vision of the school is kept alive.
Ensures infrastructural and capacity development of the school (growth of the school)
Ensures that the school has an approved BoG/Management committee.
Works with the BOG/SMC to ensure smooth school/institution running.
Office Locations & Contacts For School Registration In Uganda
Ministry of Education and Sports – Head Office.
Plot 35 Kampala Road, King George way IV
Embassy House and Legacy Tower Block A and B Kyadondo Road
P.O.Box 7063 Kampala, Uganda
Email Address: permasec@go.ug
Website:Ministry of Education and sports