Strengthening School Leadership in Uganda: From Policy to Practice
By Edmund Nibeneeh Aalangdong (PhD), Head of African Centre for School Leadership Research
Across Africa, improving the quality of education increasingly depends on a single critical factor: effective school leadership. School leaders, particularly headteachers, are not just administrators, they shape how teaching happens, support teachers, manage resources, and influence student success.
To support this, the African Centre for School Leadership (ACSL) was established as a Pan-African initiative to strengthen school leadership systems through research, training and policy engagement across the continent.ACSL works in partnership with regional and international organisations, including Education SubSaharan Africa (ESSA), VVOB – education for development, Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), and Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE),to build a stronger evidence base on school leadership in Africa and support countries to develop stronger and more connected leadership systems.
As part of this broader continental effort, ACSL led a school leadership mapping exercise in Uganda to understand how leadership works across policy, training, research and coordination.
ESSA played a key role in coordinating and supporting the process. It helped design the research, review and combine findings, engage stakeholders, and validate the results. A Strong Policy Foundation
Uganda has an operational policy for education leadership. The system is decentralised, with the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) guiding the implementation at the district and school levels.
Several national frameworks reinforce the importance of leadership in education. These include the Education Act (2008), the National Teacher Policy, and the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Framework, which clearly defines the role of headteachers. They emphasise skills such as strategic planning, team leadership, change management, and effective resource utilisation.
These frameworks also align with Uganda Vision 2040, which positions education as a key driver of national development (National Planning Authority, 2013). However, despite strong policies, implementation across the system is not always consistent.
Fragmented Leadership Systems
One major challenge is fragmentation. Uganda does not have a dedicated policy focused on school leadership. Instead, leadership is spread across multiple policies (ACSL, 2026).
Many organisations, including government agencies, universities, NGOs, teacher unions, and development partners, are involved in leadership development. a While this is positive, coordination is often insufficient. As a result, initiatives happen in isolation rather than as part of a unified system.
To address this, stakeholders have proposed creating a School Leadership Taskforce under the Leaders in Teaching (LiT) programme to improve coordination and allignment efforts (VVOB, PEAS & ACSL, 2025).
Professional Development: Available but Uneven
Leadership development opportunities for school leaders exist across Uganda but remain unevenly accessible.
Most headteachers gain leadership skills after years of teaching and further studies at institutions, including Makerere University, Kyambogo University, and the Uganda Management Institute.
In-service training is common, with support from government and development partners. However, access varies by region, and many initiatives rely on external funding (ACSL, 2026).
Moreover, there is limited structured support for new headteachers. This means many school leaders assume their roles without proper mentoring.
A Growing but Limited Research Landscape
The mapping exercise identified 53 research publications on school leadership in Uganda between 2010 and 2025, reflecting a modest but gradually expanding body of knowledge.
Most research concentrates on leadership styles, particularly transformational and instructional leadership, and show that strong leadership improves teaching and student outcomes.
However, there are still major gaps. Very little research looks at:
- Gender and inclusive leadership
- Leadership in rural or low-resource schools
- Digital leadership and education technology
- Crisis leadership and system resilience
- Leadership development pathways
Equity issues are particularly underexplored. Of the 53 studies identified in the mapping exercise, only about sixstudies explicitly address gender and none on disability or inclusive education in relation to school leadership.
Bridging the Gap Between Evidence and Practice
Another challenge is that research is not widely used or easily accessible.
Many studies remain inaccessible, stored in university libraries instead of being shared openly. Policymakers and practitioners rarely engage deeply with research findings, and dissemination is limited to one-off workshops with little follow-up (ACSL, 2026).
At the school level, data collection is often motivated by reporting requirements rather than school improvement. Improving data literacy and use among school leaders and district education officials could greatly enhance the use of evidence in decision-making.
A Way Forward: Building a Coherent Leadership Ecosystem
To strengthen school leadership in Uganda, the following priorities were highlighted during the validation workshop:
- Develop a coherent national policy framework dedicated to school leadership.
- Introduce structured induction and mentoring for new headteachers.
- Improve coordination across leadership development providers through platforms such as a national school leadership task force.
- Expand research on school leadership, particularly in areas such as gender equity, inclusive education, digital leadership, and leadership development pathways.
- Make research more accessible through open platforms and continuous engagement between researchers, policymakers, and practitioners.
Leadership as the Engine of Education Reform
There is a common saying in Uganda: “Show me a good school, and I will show you a good headteacher.”
This reflects a core truth. Effective school leadership is not just about management; it is about creating conditions for teachers to perform well, learners to succeed, and communities to engage meaningfully in education.
Uganda has already laid a strong foundation. The next step is to connect policy, practice, research, and professional learning into a coherent system.
If this happens, Uganda’s school leaders will be better placed to spearhead the real and lasting improvements in Uganda’s education.
Acknowledgement
This blog draws on insights from the African Centre for School Leadership (ACSL) validation convening held in Kampala, Uganda in March 2026. ACSL is a partnership coordinated by the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) and implemented with Education Sub-Saharan Africa (ESSA), the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE), and VVOB – education for development. We acknowledge the contributions of researchers, policymakers, and practitioners from across Africa who participated in the consultations.
References
African Centre for School Leadership (ACSL). (2026). Mapping of school leadership initiatives in Uganda: Desk review report. ESSA, ADEA, FAWE & VVOB.
Government of Uganda. (2008). Education (Pre-Primary, Primary and Post-Primary) Act. Kampala: Government Printer.
Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES). (2017). Continuous Professional Development Framework and Costed Implementation Plan for Teachers and School Leaders. Kampala: MoES.
Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES). (2019). National Teacher Policy. Kampala: MoES.
National Planning Authority. (2013). Uganda Vision 2040. Kampala: Government of Uganda.
VVOB, PEAS & African Centre for School Leadership. (2025). Leaders in Teaching (LiT) – LEAD Pillar: School leadership mapping and taskforce proposal.