The Katikkiro of Buganda, Charles Peter Mayiga, has cautioned parents against sacrificing their long-term financial security to enroll their children in “Ivy League” schools, warning that no level of academic success can compensate for old-age financial instability.
Schools across Uganda have reopened for the first term, and many parents are grappling with the financial strain of back-to-school expenses — particularly those who enrolled their children in highly prestigious, high-cost institutions often described as the “Ivy League” of local and international curricula.
Weighing in on the debate, Katikkiro Mayiga urged parents to reconsider what he described as an unhealthy obsession with elite schools at the expense of long-term financial stability.
“I don't think parents have to take their children to the most expensive (international or local curriculum) schools (those in the ‘ivy league’ that parents fret about every admittance period) and ruin their financial prospects in the process,” Mayiga said.
His remarks come at a time when many families — especially those with children entering Senior One and Senior Five — stretch their finances to secure admission in top-tier institutions.
For many households, the financial burden goes beyond tuition. Parents must also meet costs for uniforms, development fees, scholastic materials and other school requirements.
“Taking a child back to school is not easy, but we keep paying slowly in halves. The most worrying experience is the requirements,” said Ester Muhirwe, a parent from Ntungamo District.
Some parents acknowledged taking loans to raise first-term tuition and related expenses. In certain cases, families have reportedly sold land or household property to afford placement in schools perceived as elite.
The financial strain often intensifies in subsequent months, when loan repayment schedules tighten while school fees remain unchanged.
Parents who borrowed heavily at the start of the year now face monthly deductions, interest accumulation and the looming obligation to raise another full set of fees next term — pushing some into a cycle of borrowing simply to keep their children enrolled.
Mayiga cautioned that sacrificing long-term security for perceived prestige may have unintended consequences.
“The success of our children cannot compensate for old age financial instability,” he said.
His statement reflects growing concern that some parents approach retirement with depleted savings after years of prioritizing high-cost education.
While elite schools may offer superior infrastructure and international exposure, success is not guaranteed by branding alone.
Uganda has produced influential leaders, professionals and entrepreneurs from ordinary government and community schools.
For example, President Museveni attended Kyamate Model Primary School, a government-founded institution that operated under the national curriculum.
Across the country, doctors, engineers, civil servants and business leaders have similarly emerged from schools that were neither international nor considered elite.
As first-term expenses settle and households reassess their budgets, Mayiga’s remarks are likely to reignite debate over the true cost of prestige in Uganda’s education system — and whether financial sustainability should weigh as heavily as reputation when parents choose schools for their children.
