The president of the Uganda Liberal Teacher’s Union, Evans Mutesasira, delivers a speech on behalf of teachers at the celebrations

Frustrated arts teachers show up in class but only pretend to teach

by · The Observer

Two years ago, the Ugandan government rolled out a significant salary enhancement for science teachers, leaving their counterparts in the arts feeling sidelined and frustrated.

In response to a presidential directive last year, the salary structure was further adjusted to include science-based head teachers and their deputies in secondary schools, who had initially been omitted. The pay rise was part of the government’s broader strategy to strengthen the teaching of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects in schools.

However, during the belated Teachers’ Day celebrations on October 19, 2024, at Lugogo Cricket Oval, the frustrations of arts teachers resurfaced. Globally, World Teachers’ Day is observed on October 5, but Uganda marked the occasion later, bringing together seven teachers’ unions and students.

At the event, President Museveni emphasized the government’s focus on maintaining economic stability and prioritizing sectors such as science, which are considered vital for national development. He emphasized that arts teachers would need to remain patient until the economy could support their salary enhancement.

“When I directed that we start with scientists, I did so as a social scientist and a literature man myself. Our intention is clear, and we don’t need to waste time on this issue again. The economy is growing fast, and inflation is low. The target is to pay all public servants well but also increase their numbers,” Museveni said.

He further explained that while more teachers are needed, the government can- not hire them due to limited resources.

“If we all worked together instead of being argumentative... We need to prioritize resources in the context of scarcity,” he added.

Using Luganda proverbs to illustrate his point, Museveni said, “Kamu kamu, gwe muganda (One by one makes a bundle) and Akwata empola, atuuka wala (Patience pains, but it pays).”

While these words brought cheers from the science teachers present, many arts teachers in attendance were left grumbling. Despite repeated assurances from the government that their salary enhancement would eventually come, arts teachers remain concerned that the wait could be prolonged, given the ongoing economic challenges.

In an interview with The Observer on the sidelines of the Teachers’ day celebrations, Francis Mutesasira, general secretary of the Uganda Professional Humanities Teachers’ Union (UPHTU), expressed deep frustration over the government’s ongoing delays in enhancing the salaries of arts teachers.

“It is unfortunate that the phased salary enhancement the president has been talking about is long overdue. We urge the government to secure resources and raise arts teachers’ pay. Currently, we have a situation where teaching and learning in schools is pretentious, and the ultimate losers are the learners and the country at large,” Mutesasira said.

He noted that arts teachers are disheartened and demotivated.

“They go to classes to pass time, and are not as active as expected. The bodies are in classrooms, but their hearts and minds are elsewhere. The phased salary enhancement has become a song we hear every Teachers’ day. We are tired of these unfulfilled promises.”

Under the government’s recent salary enhancement for science teachers, graduate science teachers saw their pay rise from Shs 1.2m to Shs 4m, while those with diplomas had their salaries increased from Shs 930,000 to Shs 2.2m. Head teachers and their deputies with science backgrounds leading Primary Teachers Colleges (PTCs), National Teachers Colleges (NTCs), and BTVET institutions saw their salaries enhanced to Shs 6.5m and Shs 4.5m respectively.

In comparison, the highest-paid arts teacher on scale U3 earns Shs 1.3m, while those on scale U5 receive Shs 784,214. Meanwhile, as part of his pledge to support private teachers, President Museveni recently signed a dummy cheque of Shs 20bn, to be shared among three teachers’ Saccos: the Uganda Professional Science Teachers’ Union (UPSTU) Sacco, the Uganda Private Teachers’ Labour Union Sacco, and the Uganda Liberal Teachers Union Member Sacco.

Aron Mugaiga, general secretary of UPSTU, welcomed the new funding, stating that it will help teachers who have been exploited by moneylenders and commercial banks.

“The meager resources teachers earn were being taken at high interest rates. For arts teachers, we stand with them and believe that the government will address their needs soon,” Mugaiga said, urging science teachers to remain committed to their jobs and avoid part-timing at multiple schools.

TEACHING PROFESSION IN CRISIS

Education development partners (EDPs) urged the Ugandan government and the international community to prioritize teachers in shaping the future of education. Mamadou Lamine Sow, head of the Unesco East Africa Education Programme, delivered a speech on behalf of the EDPs, emphasizing that global education systems face unprecedented challenges that threaten the future of learning, including a shortage of qualified teachers, deteriorating working conditions, and a lack of trust in the profession.

Sow referenced the first 2024 Unesco and Teacher Task Force Global Report on Teachers, which highlighted that the teach- ing profession is in crisis. He noted that declining social recognition, compounded by low pay, excessive workloads and inadequate resources, is driving talented individuals away from the profession.

“The quality and accessibility of education are at risk for millions of students,” Sow added. The EDPs stressed the need for international cooperation to ensure teachers receive the respect, autonomy, and resources they deserve, as recommended by the UN secretary-general’s High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession.

“BE NOBLE TEACHERS”

Aligning with this year’s World Teachers’ Day theme, “Valuing Teachers’ Voices: Towards a New Social Contract for Education,” Uganda’s Education minister Janet Museveni reminded teachers of their im- mense influence on their learners’ lives. However, she pointed out that such positive influence only occurs when teachers uphold noble values.

“One wonders why, in the past, teachers who earned less and were less academically qualified were held in such high regard by society,” Janet Museveni remarked. She explained that while policymakers can improve the external aspects of the profession, there are internal, moral issues that only teachers can address.

She emphasized the problem of absenteeism, noting that some teachers either physically avoid the classroom or are disengaged during work hours.

“If you are absent, you know it yourself, yet you still collect your pay at the end of the month. This is an issue of conscience that only the teacher can correct,” she said.

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