A Quantitative Assessment of the Impact of Universal Primary Education on Intergenerational Education Mobility in Uganda

Abstract

In 1997, in a context of post-independence and diffusion of universal primary education worldwide, the Ugandan Ministry of Education and Sports implemented the Universal Primary Education (UPE) program. Behind the policy was a belief that equitable access to education would aid national development and mitigate poverty. Removing major barriers to education access including tuition, textbook and Parent-Teacher Association fees and through gender affirmative policy, UPE was met with an increased enrollment into schools across the nation. However, there were simultaneously multiple challenges including low teacher morale and poor academic outcomes. Little is known about the impacts of UPE on intergenerational education mobility. Using Integrated Public Use Microdata Series, International (IPUMS-International) data from 2014, this paper investigates the effect of exposure to the UPE policy on intergenerational education mobility in Uganda. To my knowledge, this is the first paper of its kind. The results offer evidence both for and against the hypothesis of this paper that UPE increased intergenerational education mobility. This variance appears to be caused by how parental education is measured. The educational gains for female and disabled children, two of the groups that were directly targeted by the policy, demonstrate that UPE has potential. Ugandan education stakeholders such as the Ministry of Education and Sports should continue to improve the program such that it can aspire to be competitive with private education.