Despite facing competition from other nongovernmental organizations interested in schools as profitable ventures, these institutions continue to attract students.
The increasing trend of privatization has raised concerns that the Catholic Church may raise prices and exclude individuals who require assistance the most.
Catholic Church-run schools are not typically registered as for-profit entities; however, the individuals who manage them assert that without operating as businesses, they would not be competitive.
They also face the same maintenance expenses as other institutions in the field and offer scholarships to exceptionally talented students.
“A school like this one, has various cost centres,” said Vincent Ssegane, director of studies responsible for examinations at Uganda Martyrs School.
“Consider the payroll, feeding the students, maintaining these infrastructures, it is substantial. So, I believe that explains the increase and, of course, as you mentioned, the increasing cost of living and rising prices.”
“The rate of inflation has a significant impact on the cost of education because education is a service,” he added.
The tuition at the school has dropped from as high as $800 to approximately $600, according to the school’s deputy headmaster, as enrollment doubled to nearly 5,000.
Throughout the region, the Catholic Church has earned a reputation for providing formal education in areas frequently underserved by the state.
Their schools are valued by families of all backgrounds for their values, discipline, and academic accomplishments.
Richard Kizito, a metalworker in Kampala whose four children attend Catholic schools, stated that the emerging risk for traditional Catholic schools is that they will only entertain the wealthy.
“We used to not pay any fees in the past, especially when I was young,” he said, recalling memories of attending for free and receiving books and stationery at no cost.
However, parents are now being priced out and are unable to enroll their children in Catholic schools, he noted.
“It’s not because they don’t want to, they want to, but they can’t afford it,” he said, imitating other parents.
“Due to the fees challenge, I cannot manage all of my children’s school fees,” he added.
Kizito’s sentiment about schools founded by the Catholic Church reflects broader complaints made by others.
Many claim that the Church, the largest n-governmental investor in education in sub-Saharan Africa, is not doing enough to alleviate the pressure that many families face.
There are concerns that the Catholic Church may be moving away from its mission and pricing out poorer children from its schools due to the increasing trend toward privatization.
Unaffordable school costs are one of the main reasons why children do not complete their education, with sub-Saharan Africa having the world’s highest dropout rate.
