The Katikkiro of Buganda, Charles Peter Mayiga, has issued a strong warning to parents against jeopardizing their long-term financial security in the quest to place their children in prestigious “Ivy League”-style schools.

With schools in Uganda reopening for the new term, families are grappling with the heavy burden of back-to-school costs—tuition, uniforms, transportation, and other essentials. Mayiga pointed out that this is precisely when many parents push their budgets to the breaking point to secure admission into high-end institutions, whether following international or local curricula.

He cautioned against what he described as an unhealthy fixation on elite schools, stressing that no amount of academic achievement by children can offset the hardship of financial instability in parents’ later years.”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 stated.

The Katikkiro emphasized the need for a sensible balance: pursuing quality education while maintaining sound financial planning. He argued that true responsible parenting extends beyond affording steep school fees, it also means safeguarding one’s own future and avoiding choices that could lead to vulnerability in old age.

His comments arrive amid steadily rising education costs, which continue to strain household finances across the country. Numerous parents reportedly resort to loans or deplete savings to fund attendance at top-tier schools, convinced that such environments promise superior prospects for their children. Mayiga urged a more measured approach, reminding families that many highly successful individuals emerged from modest or lesser-known schools.