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Sponsorship · School system

How school works in Uganda

P5, S2, UCE, A-level – your sponsored child's letters and reports are full of terms that may be unfamiliar. Here we explain how Uganda's school system works.

The way through school

Uganda's school system dates from British colonial times. After nursery school come seven years of primary school, four years of secondary school up to O-level and two more years up to A-level. Each stage ends with a national exam.

  1. 1

    Nursery · Nursery school

    Baby, Middle and Top Class · about 3 to 5 years

    The youngest learn their first letters and numbers through play. In Butiru the teachers already speak English with the children in nursery school. Nursery school is optional – many children in the countryside go straight to primary school.

  2. 2

    Primary School · Primary school

    Primary 1 to Primary 7 (P1–P7) · about 6 to 12 years

    Seven years of primary school. In Butiru, lessons are mostly in English from Primary 1. In Primary 7 the children prepare for their first big exam.

    Final exam

    PLE – Primary Leaving Examination in English, mathematics, science and social studies. The result decides whether, and which, secondary school a child can attend.

  3. 3

    O-Level · Lower secondary

    Senior 1 to Senior 4 (S1–S4) · about 13 to 16 years

    Four years with many subjects, from biology and chemistry to history and agriculture.

    Final exam

    UCE – Uganda Certificate of Education. Afterwards pupils go on to A-level or into vocational training.

  4. 4

    A-Level · Upper secondary

    Senior 5 and Senior 6 (S5–S6) · about 17 to 18 years

    Two years with a few main subjects, either sciences or arts. Many smaller rural secondary schools only offer O-level.

    Final exam

    UACE – Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education, the qualification needed for university.

  5. 5

    After that · Training or university

    Vocational school, college or university · from about 17

    After O-level or A-level, young people go on to vocational training, to a college – for example to become a teacher – or to university. A degree usually takes three to five years.

The school year

The school year follows the calendar year and is divided into three terms. It starts in February and ends in early December.

Between terms there are about three weeks of holidays, and after the third term the long holidays last until the end of January. During the holidays, boarding pupils go home to their families. The big national exams are written at the end of the year.

  1. Term 1

    February to early May

  2. Term 2

    late May to August

  3. Term 3

    September to early December

  4. Long holidays

    December and January

  • Reports

    Report cards are issued at the end of terms. Twice a year you receive your sponsored child's report together with a photo and a letter.

  • Important years

    P7, S4 and S6 are exam years. Pupils study especially hard in these classes – and your sponsored child will be particularly glad of encouraging post.

  • Different ages

    Many children start school late or had to pause because there was no money for fees. That's why a class often has children of different ages.

  • Up to A-level

    The €35-a-month sponsorship covers school fees up to A-level. For training or university we'll find a solution together with you in good time.

Little glossary

P1–P7
Primary 1 to 7 – the primary school classes
S1–S6
Senior 1 to 6 – the secondary school classes
PLE
Primary Leaving Examination – the end-of-primary exam
O-Level
Ordinary Level – secondary school up to S4
UCE
Uganda Certificate of Education – the qualification after S4
A-Level
Advanced Level – upper secondary, S5 and S6
UACE
Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education – the qualification after S6
UNEB
Uganda National Examinations Board – sets the national exams
Term
One of the three parts of the school year
Boarding / Day scholar
A pupil living at school / a pupil who goes home every day

Sources: Ministry of Education and Sports, Uganda (2026 school calendar); Uganda National Examinations Board.

Help a child on this path

For €35 a month a child from our project areas can go to school – from nursery to A-level.

Become a sponsor