The United Nations promotes access to basic education as an indelible right for all children, leading to the global push for Education for All (EFA) as a vehicle for realizing the global Millennium Development Goals. EFA has regulatory expectations for all participating countries to show programming and progress to achieve the targets by 2015. The Universal Primary Education (UPE) in Uganda, is aligned to these global targets to deliver access, equity, and relevant, quality education for poverty eradication, economic, and social development. However, the relationships among UPE, global goals, and the local needs are not well known. The central question for this case study was whether UPE addresses the local educational needs and aspirations of Ugandans.

Through the lenses of critical pedagogy, Eituηanane local philosophy, and ‘education as a weapon’ metaphor, data were collected during three-months of intense field work using interviews, talking circles, and informal discussions with a total of 49 local district participants. Qualitative metaphoric analysis revealed that UPE, while a key to economic progress, is yet to build the social fiber (humanness) and develop knowledge, skills, and the moral aspects of individuals for community living. Consequently, as a tool for achieving global goals, UPE is yet to adequately achieve expected outcomes from local schools, and effectively address daily experiences and educational needs. An Eituηanane-inspired, indigenous research-based approach to community participation and ownership, and teacher training and support is proposed to inform policies, organizational processes, and local practices. The study augments knowledge about policy implementation at local levels.