The primary task of this article is to analyze and examine the factors that prompted the then Uganda central, government to introduce and intensify the policy of strong control of the system of education, a policy they knew was sensitive and controversial. Was it political factors? Was it economic factors, or was it purely educational considerations, or a combination of all these elements? Was it an inevitable step to take? In short, is there a case really to sustain the government action?
Furthermore, an attempt will be made to sketch out what the policy of state control of education that was adopted in 1964 meant in practical terms. It is not my intention to assess the impact the policy of centralization has had on the quality of education in terms of, say, performancein Primary Leaving and E.A.C.E. examinations or efficiency in the administration of education. Such an exercise is beyond the scope of this article.
One point deserves explanation at this stage for clarity’s sake before plunging into a full examination of the issue. That is the significance of the years 1964' and 1971 as starting and closing points of the discussion, respectively. On the one band, 1964 is regarded as a turning point in the development of education in Uganda because it is presumed that that is when the central government began to take a strong grip on the education system as a whole. That is when the policy of strong central government control was 'inaugurated. The year 1971, on the other hand, is regarded as crucial in the history of our education system in respect to the issue of central governmentcontrol because it can be said that it closed the chapter that was 'began in 1964. That is when the consolidation of the policy embarked upon in 1964 reached a climax with the abolition of District Councils and District Education Committees.