Definitions for Annual School Census data – Primary and Secondary Schools

School Particulars

Status of Operation of School– This is determined by who runs the school. This could be different
from the Founding Body and the Funding Source. In essence this option relates to that authority that
has the biggest stake in the school management.
The ownership options are:
Government/ Government Grant-Aided – the government now owns the school or the
school has received a grant from the government.
(Note: If a school was listed in 2004/2005 as Government owned, unless it formally converted, it should still
be identified as a government school.)
Private (for profit) – a private for-profit group of people, an individual or institution owns the
school.
Community (non-profit) (religious) – a community group of people, an individual or an
institution without any profit making objectives owns the school. Religious groups that own
schools fall into this category.

Founding Body –This has a historical perspective and is not necessarily related to who, at the
present, owns the land where the school is located. It relates to the original founder of the School
regardless its present ownership status. The founding body options are:
Government – the government founded the school
Religious – one of the following religious organisations founded the school::
Islamic
Church of Uganda (COU)
Catholic
Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church
Parents – parents (or the local community) founded the school
Entrepreneurs – the school was founded as a commercial venture
Others – this might include non-religious NGOs, religious bodies not included above.

Funding Source – This variable is intended to address the degree of funding given by Government
to the schools using the 3 categories stipulated below. There are three categories defined as:
Government-aided – the school depends entirely (fully) on government funding to cover its
operational costs including the payment of teachers’ salaries, the purchase of instructional
materials, the construction/maintenance of school buildings; etc.
Partly government-aided – the school does not depend entirely on government funding to
cover its operational costs but receives some public funding or supplies. Government funding
may not be the main source of funding.
Not government-aided - the school does not receive any government funding or supplies to
cover its operational costs.

School Type – This question relates to gender of pupils in the school. In other words, what is the
gender distribution in schools? And there are 3 broad categories defined as:
Co-educational (Mixed) – the school admits boys and girls.
Boys only – the school admits boys only.
Girls only – the school admits girls only.

Day School/Boarding Type – This defines the type of accommodation provided by the school:
Day School – the school is used only for teaching purposes and not for boarding.
Partly boarding – the school provides boarding facilities for a limited number of students, for
example, only for upper classes.
Full boarding – the school provides boarding facilities for all levels.

Registry Status – This records information of the school indicating the stage/Level of the official
registration process with the Ministry of Education and Sports. And the categories are;
Registered – the school is officially registered with the MOES.
Licensed but not registered – the school is not fully officially registered but a license to
operate the school has been obtained.
Not licensed – the school is neither officially registered nor licensed. Schools that have
begun the process or obtaining a licence are included in this category.

6
Grade of the school before UPE (1997) –This item deals with the historical perspective before UPE
and does not reflect any subsequent changes or self-assessments. In otherwards it shows the grade
by which school was originally classified before Universal Primary Education (UPE). Categories are:
Grade I
Grade II
Grade III
Grade IV
Ungraded - this includes both schools which did not receive a grade and new schools
opened since 1997.
Note: However, this item is not reflected in the new adjusted questionnaire anymore.

Distance to nearest school of the same level – This is measured in kilometres (km). It records the
distance between two primary schools or two secondary schools nearest to each other. Note: The
distance estimated is the one that has to be practically covered and not the imaginary distance. This
scenario applies more so for those schools in hilly/mountainous areas where two schools closest to
each other are separated by a hill or mountain. The options available to schools were:
Below 1 km
1 – 2 km
2.1 – 3 km
3.1 – 4 km
4.1 – 5 km
Above 5 km

Distance to the DEO’s main office – This measures the distance (in kilometres – km) between each
school and the office of District Education Officer. Note: The distance estimated is the one that has to
be practically covered and not the imaginary distance. The same approach as that of the previous
question has to be applied when responding to this question. The options available to schools were:
Below 10 km
10 – 20 km
20.1 – 30 km
30.1 – 40 km
40.1 – 50 km
Above 50 km

Number of inspections by DEO conducted last year- This records the number of visits which the
school received from a District Education office during the last school year that resulted in an actual
school inspection. In this case, an inspection is commissioned when the District Education Officer
delegates some one from their office to practically visit the school. Options given were:
None
One
Two
More than two

Location - This records the characteristics of the area in which the school is located. The options are
defined as:
Urban – the school is located in a highly built-up area where the population is highly
concentrated. This area is generally characterized by the availability of services like
electricity, piped water, tarmaced roads, and telephones.
Peri-urban - the school is located in an area that somewhat mirrors the characteristics of an
urban area but to a lesser extent. In this area, only some of the facilities found in urban areas
exist; the population concentration is also moderate.
Rural - the school is located in an area that lacks most if not all the facilities/amenities found
in the urban areas. The population tends to be scattered.

Founding year- this is defined as the year in which the school opened its doors for the first time to
the public for admission of pupils/students.

7
Pupil information

Enrolment is defined as those pupils who were admitted/re-admitted and fully recorded in the
school’s Register at the beginning of the first term. It includes all those pupils whose names appear on
the school register (including repeaters and those temporarily absent).

Age is defined as the difference between the pupil’s date of birth and the date at the time of the
Annual school Census in complete years. In otherwards the age recorded refers to the age of the
pupil on first day of school in the 1st term.

Streams by class – Streams in simpler terms refer to the number of separate groups existing for
each class. Streams are usually created because the size of enrolment exceeds either the classroom
capacity, or the capacity/availability of a teacher. A class would then be divided into two or more
“streams” either in the same physical classroom or in a separate classroom. For example, for P1
there might be P1a, P1b and P1c, that is, 3 streams for P1.

Orphans – The number of children whose parents are dead. Unlike the year 2002 data, the number
of orphans captured for this year also included those pupils/children who had only one parent dead.

Pupils with special learning needs - Pupils with special learning needs are those who might need
specially trained teachers and /or teaching materials. Such pupils are categorised by their main
special learning need as follows:
Mentally retarded
Visually impaired
Hearing impaired
Physically impaired
Autism

Note: The autistic pupil(s) refer(s) to that/those pupil(s) who for any reason have a failure to develop social
abilities, language and other communication skills to the usual level, together with a severe limitation on the
number of a person’s or persons’ activities and interests.

If a child has more than one handicap, then the type of impairment that is most prominent is
considered by the school to be the main one that defines the category in which the child is placed.

Repeaters – These are pupils who are in the same grade as they were in the previous year. It also
includes pupils who completed up to the first term of the same grade in the previous year but left
school before the year ended and returned to the same grade in the following year.

New entrants to P1– Pupils who have been admitted into P1 that year for the first time. It also
includes pupils who attended P1 in the previous year (at the same or a different school) but left the
school before completing the first term.

Pupils with adequate seating or writing space – This question captures pupils who DO have
adequate seating and writing space. Adequate sitting and writing space means access to the official
furniture requirements like desk and a chair. If a pupil has one or none of these, then they’re not
accessing adequate seating and writing space. This is defined by example: if a desk is meant for 4
pupils (4-seater) and 6 pupils are squeezed into the desk, then only 4 pupils out of the 6 are
accessing adequate seating and adequate writing space.
• if a pupil is sitting on the floor or a mat, or if the pupil only has a chair without a table they do
not have adequate seating or writing space.

Transferred pupils into a school

Transfers in: Pupils who joined a school from another school during the previous academic year.
This category includes only known transfers by head teachers.

8
Dropouts – The number of pupils who were enrolled in a school during the previous academic year
but left the school (dropped out) before the end of the school year. It does not include pupils who
transferred to another school. Dropouts leave the school system for a variety of reasons, frequently
going back to their villages and not attending a school. Dropouts are categorised as follows (each
pupil is included only once under their main reason for dropping out):

Lack of interest – the pupil showed no interest in schoolwork.

Pregnancy – the girl left school because she was pregnant.
Marriage – the pupil left school after getting married.
Fees (unable to pay) – parents could not afford to pay school fees.
Job – the pupil had to work during school hours or work too far away to attend school.
Sickness – the pupil was too sick to continue to attend school.
Family responsibilities – pupil had to attend to family related responsibilities such as taking care of
brothers and sisters or elders, and the sick, or help with farming responsibilities
Dismissed/Disobedience – the pupil was dismissed from the school due to disobedience or other
discipline related reason.
Others reasons– any other reason not listed above.

9
Teacher information

Age – is defined as the current year minus the Year of Birth. In other words, age is defined as the
difference between the teacher’s date of birth and the date at the time of the Annual school Census in
complete years.

Highest Level of education - the highest level of education that a teacher received. This refers to
the highest academic qualifications attained by the teacher. This is not the highest teaching
qualification. Categories are:
Primary
Primary + Cert./Dip.
O Level
O Level + Cert./Dip.
A Level
A Level + Cert./Dip.
Graduate
Post Graduate Diploma
Masters Degree
Doctorate

Highest Teacher qualification. For all trained and untrained teachers this shows the teachers’
highest teaching qualifications. .
Untrained
Licensed Teacher
Grade II Teacher
Trained
Grade III Teacher
Grade IV Teacher
Grade V Teacher
DPE (Diploma in Primary Education)
Graduate Teacher (A graduate teacher includes those with a BA in Education
and those with a BA or BS plus a Post Graduate Diploma in Education.)

Date of first posting - The month and the year in which the teacher was first posted to a teaching
position

Date of First appointment - The month and the year the teacher was first appointed as a teacher.

Additional School Responsibility –These are defined as:

Head Teacher
Deputy Head Teacher
Senior Woman

MPS Salary Scale – This is defined for teachers in government-aided schools only. 1 = U1, 2 = U2, 3
= U3, 4 = U4, 5 = U5, 6 = U6, 7 = U7, 8 = U8

On MPS payroll – defines whether a teacher was on the Government (MPS) payroll at the time of the
census.

Training Last Year – The teacher received training during the previous academic year. Training is
categorised as follows:
In-service (TDMS)
Upgrading
Higher Education (full-time)
Higher Education (part-time)

Previous Posting (District) – The district in which a teacher was posted immediately before being
posted to the current school.

10
Main Subject of Specialisation (secondary only) – The subject in whom the teacher specialised or
received training in at university or teachers’ college. Some subjects have been grouped together and
these are indicated in the notes below.

Table 2 gives teacher details by teaching subject.

/7 Teaching Subjects Notes

1 = English 14 = Commerce Other Foreign Languages: includes

Kiswahili, Arabic, French, Germany,
Spanish, and Latin.

Local Languages: includes Luganda,

Runyankore, Runyoro, Rutooro, Rukiga,
Luo.
2 = Mathematics 15 = Technical Drawing
3 = Biology 16 = Computer Studies
4 = Chemistry 17 = Home Economics
5 = Physics 18 = Other Foreign Languages
6 = Economics 19 = Local Languages
7 = History 20 = General Paper
8 = Geography 21 = Islamics
9 = Accounts 22 = Woodwork
10 = Arts and Crafts 23 = Metalwork
11 = Divinity/CRE 24 = Food and Nutrition
12 = English Literature 25 = Other
13 = Agriculture
Main subject taught (secondary only) – This is the subject that the teacher teaches most. It is
coded using the same list as the Main Subject of Specialisation above.

Teaching Staff – Reason for Leaving School (last year)

These are defined as:
Transferred to another teaching post
Transferred to a non-teaching post
Resigned/dismissed
Retired
Prolonged illness (excluding those who subsequently died)
Died (includes those who originally left due to prolonged illness but are known to have
subsequently died)
Reason not known/other

Current Non Teaching Staff – This category refers to staff in the school that are not directly involved
in the teaching of pupils at the school premises.
These are defined in three categories:

Administrative Personnel with no instructional Duties - refers to staff such as

headmasters, principals, school administrators and supervisors who have no instructional
materials etc…

Professional Pedagogical Support Personnel - refers to staff such as guidance

counsellors, librarians, curriculum developers, educational media specialists, and attendance
officers.

Non-Professional Support Personnel - refers to staff such as clerical personnel, building

operations & maintenance staff, security personnel, transportation workers, catering staff
etc...

Others - refers to non-teaching staff not included in the above categories.

11
Infrastructure and Sanitation

This section includes information regarding buildings (number, type, condition and need), and
sanitation (water sources, flushing toilets and latrines.)

Buildings (Rooms) by condition and type

Total number of rooms by type (classrooms, libraries, etc.) categorised as:
Existing (In Use) – rooms currently being used
Under construction (Construction Incomplete) –rooms under construction or incomplete
Needed – additional rooms needed after completion of those currently under construction or
currently incomplete

Buildings (Rooms) under Construction (Construction Incomplete) are categorised by status as

described below (each is included only once):
Working on floor/foundation – currently working on breaking ground and setting the floor or
foundation of the room.
Floor/foundation completed, needs or working on walls – the floor/foundation work has
been completed but there are no walls or work is currently being conducted to put up walls.
Floor/foundation and walls completed; needs or working on roof – there is
floor/foundation and walls, but there is no roof or work is currently being conducted to put up a
roof.

Main Water Source – The main source of water for the school. Each school can select only one from:
Piped Water
Borehole
Well/Spring
Rain Water Tanks
Lake/River
Other.

Flushing Toilets and Latrine Stances are identified as having:

A stance or latrine enclosure – a latrine enclosure with at least three sides or partitions
– it may or may not have doors or shutters.
A solid door – refers to a free-swinging, full solid partition
Shutters – refers to a free-swinging, full partial partition

They are also classified as being:

Exclusively by teachers
Exclusively by girls
Exclusively by boys
For mixed use (boys, girls and/or teachers).

Teaching Materials (primary only)

Number of textbooks, teacher guides, and class periods per week by subject –
For each of the 4 main subjects (English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies) the total number
of textbooks and teacher guides available in the school, and periods per week each subject is taught,
for each class (P1 to P7) is recorded.

12