Decentralized planning and the performance of Universal Primary Education in Local Governments pf Uganda: A case study of Tororo District

Abstract

This study was conducted to establish how decentralized planning affects the performance of UPE in Tororo District Local Government. The study had four objectives; to establish how the prioritization of needs by the communities affects the performance of UPE, to establish how stakeholder participation affects the performance of UPE, to establish how participatory monitoring and evaluation of UPE affects its performance and to establish the moderating influence of government policies on decentralized planning and the performance of UPE in Tororo District Local Government. The study used a case study design and adopted both quantitative and qualitative approaches of research. The study population was 457, while the sample size selected was 307 using R.V. Krejcie and D.W Morgan, (1970). The regression analyses have revealed that decentralized planning as an independent variable has not significantly affected the performance of UPE in TDLG. Among the major recommendations made was that there is need to streamline the prioritization of UPE needs in the participatory planning process There is also need for government to recruit more teachers to ease the burden of the high pupil-teacher ratio for effective teaching and learning and to allow teachers take care of the slow learners who require remedial lessons. Also, parents need to provide mid-day meals to their children in order to improve on their performance.