Education decentralization has been credited with the potential to improve performance and achievement. This study investigated the feasibility of secondary education decentralization in Uganda, specifically looking at whether the decentralization strategies used at the primary level could be used to implement decentralization at the secondary level. The study addressed three questions. First, "To what degree can decentralization strategies successfully used at the primary education level be applied to the secondary decentralization level? Second, to what extent is secondary education decentralization feasible in Uganda? Third, what factor/issues have inhibited the implementation of secondary education decentralization?" Literature revealed that there were various rationales for education decentralization, among which the most common were to improve governance, enhance efficiency, increase education finance, and enhance learning and school improvement. It also revealed the strategies used to implement decentralization differed from country to country depending on the prevailing local circumstances.

The study used surveys and interviews to gather data from educators at the national, district and school levels in five districts. Kingdon's multiple streams model provided the theoretical framework.

Results indicated that there were significant differences among educators across districts with respect to the extent to which they thought that decentralization was successful at the primary education level. In general, they thought that it was only minimally successful and that the strategies used at the primary level could not be used to implement secondary education decentralization. They further indicated that secondary education decentralization was not feasible in Uganda mainly due to insufficient technical and financial capacity at the district levels, lack of widespread support and feasible structural and legal provisions.

The study recommends that in order for secondary education decentralization to succeed, the central government needs to build the districts capacity in terms of personnel and finance, put in place appropriate structural and legal provisions, and pilot and evaluate secondary decentralization in economically capable districts. It further recommends that decentralized functions should include fiscal decentralization.