Kampala, Uganda (AP) – A distressed parent, unable to settle their tuition fees, enters the staff room of a private Catholic school, seeking the teacher’s assistance in registering their son.
The school’s policy mandated that the parent pay at least 60% of the total tuition fee. With no funds, she left disheartened.
“She was begging, ‘Please help,'” shared Beatrice Akith, a teacher at St. Kizith Middle School in the capital of Uganda. “It was a deeply uncomfortable situation. We’d never witnessed anything like it before.”
Two weeks after the term began, Akith reflects on the woman’s desperate plea, stressing that the unpredictable fees are burdening many parents, leading to students dropping out of school. A significant number in sub-Saharan Africa face the highest dropout rate internationally, with many criticizing the mission-driven Catholic Church for not alleviating the financial strains on families.
The legacy of Catholic education across Africa
The Catholic Church stands as the largest non-government investor in education in the region. Historically, Catholic schools have served as a cornerstone of affordable, quality education for impoverished families.
Their appeal continues to be strong, despite facing competition from profit-driven non-governmental institutions. This trend towards privatization has raised concerns about whether the Catholic Church might inadvertently exclude those who are most in need.
Akith hopes Catholic leaders will champion reforms to standardize fees across schools of similar quality.
Saint Kizith Middle School in Kampala, where Akith teaches literature, was established by priests of the Konboni Missionary Order, renowned for their dedication to serving underprivileged communities. The student body primarily consists of children from working-class families, with semester tuition fees around $300—a substantial amount, especially considering the GDP per capita was approximately $1,000 in 2023.
However, these fees are still lower than many other Catholic institutions in Kampala. Many students report late due to their inability to pay fees until later in the semester, Akith noted.
Late start, long lines, extended requests
Nangongo, a Catholic secondary school in Uganda, enforces a “zero balance” policy, requiring full tuition payment upfront before students can attend at the start of their three-month term.
While school fees once reached $800, they have dropped to around $600 due to a surge in registrations nearing 5,000, reported Deputy Principal James Batte. Recently, a queue formed outside Batte’s office as parents sought extensions to settle their tuition balances.
Daniel Bilungi, an electrician in Kampala whose child is enrolled this year at St. Mary’s College Kisubi, a prestigious boys’ school, expressed concern that traditional Catholic schools may cater only to the affluent.
“There was hot water in the bathrooms, a stark contrast to my experience as a student in the 1990s,” he reflected. Students now cannot bring snacks from home and are encouraged to buy food from school-owned cafeterias.
“This is putting a lot of stress on us,” he stated.
The tuition at St. Mary’s College Kisubi is about $800 per semester, and Bilungi worries about his ability to pay consistently. “You can go there and discuss with the principal. I plan to approach him for consideration,” he added.
The impact of private education systems
In 2023, the World Bank reported that 54% of adults in sub-Saharan Africa prioritize tuition fees above medical and other expenses. This reflects the predominance of private education and the profit-driven nature of the most sought-after schools.
Catholic-run schools are typically not classified as profit-making entities, yet their administrators argue that charitable operation alone does not make them competitive. They face similar maintenance costs as their counterparts, while also providing scholarships to outstanding students.
Ronald Reagan Okello, a priest overseeing education at Kampala’s Catholic Secretariat, indicated that regulating tuition fees is a challenging task. He encourages parents to enroll their children in schools that fit their financial situations.
“As a Catholic Church, we are also contending with the private sector,” explained Okelo, Director of Education at the Uganda Bishops’ Conference. “Competing entities set high standards; they offer excellent services, compelling us to raise our tuition to meet the expectations of those who can afford it.”
Regionally, the Catholic Church has cultivated a reputation as a critical provider of formal education in often underserved areas. Schools are valued by families for their integrity, discipline, and academic prowess.
In Zimbabwe, the Catholic Church manages approximately 100 schools, with annual tuition fees ranging from $150 in low-tier schools to thousands for elite boarding institutions.
Nonetheless, increasing fees at these boarding schools and moves to fully privatize many Catholic schools are putting this legacy at risk in South Africa. Many boarding institutions have tuition fees between $600 and $800, becoming inaccessible to the working class, where the majority of civil servants earn less than $300 monthly.
Peter Mzawazi, a noted educator in Zimbabwe, warned that privatization would drive fees even higher.
After attending Catholic school, Mzawazi once served as the principal at Marist Brothers, a premier Catholic boys’ school in Zimbabwe. “We recognize the Catholic Church has ample room for reasonable fees for those in need, but for many, access may appear unattainable,” he remarked.
He urged the church to remain actively engaged, asking, “How do we ensure education remains accessible for the impoverished?”
Efforts to privatize church-established schools have ignited debate in Zimbabwe, a nation grappling with economic decline exacerbated by sanctions enforced by the U.S. and others. Despite officials insisting that maintaining standards necessitates privatization, critics caution against abandoning the poor.
“Schools are now viewed as profit-making entities,” stated Martin Chabulmunda, chairman of the Zimbabwe Regional Teachers Union. “It appears that churches are more focused on revenue than on educating the communities they serve.”
Mzawazi, a Catholic who is involved with the governing council of Catholic University in Zimbabwe, asserted that churches should invest in creating new schools that explore innovative financial models rather than privatizing existing mission schools.
“The most promising individuals who can uplift the nation often come from humble beginnings,” he emphasized. “We want every church and nation to leverage the potential of all, regardless of their economic conditions.”
___Mussaka reported from Harare, Zimbabwe.
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Source: apnews.com