BUIKWE: In Buikwe, government schools have decided to merge primary learners in the upper classes to teach them music amidst the Uganda National Teacher’s Union (UNATU) nationwide-led strike.
As Uganda Radio Network (URN), the Kampala Report news partner visited some of the schools in Buikwe and other areas, it observed that learners in primary seven, six, and five have been merged to attend music lessons. The remaining learners have been asked to remain home awaiting further instructions from UNATU. This is as a result of inadquate manpower to manage all classes.
Justine Mboka, a senior teacher at St. Kizito primary school in Lugazi Municipality, said that only music teachers paid through contributions from the Parents, and Teachers Association (PTA), are able to come to school.
She revealed that since the strike started last week, they don’t have enough manpower to manage all classes. Therefore, they instructed pupils in primary seven, six, and five to attend music lessons and pupils in other classes to remain at home.
The situation is not different in secondary schools where majority of the art teachers have stayed away. Only a few science teachers and those paid by PTAs are conducting lessons. Hillary Bwire, the Buikwe UNATU Chairperson, said that schools are still up to the cause despite the threats from the government and district inspectors of schools.
After the national budget was tabled in parliament on June 14, indicating an allocation of 30% salary increment to science teachers in universities and post-primary institutions next month (July), opposed to the arts teachers. UNATU called an industrial action that continues to rage on despite government’s effort to end the strike.
In response to the teachers’ strike, the government led by President, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, and the first lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Kataha Museveni met the top UNATU officials to convince them to call off the strike in vain.
President Museveni and the Ministry of Education maintained that teachers of arts should be patient as their salaries will be raised in the 2023/24 budget, a suggestion that most teachers dismissed saying government has a tendency of promising and not delivering salary increments.
To end the strike also, a second directive was issued by Public Service ministry’s permanent secretary, Catherine Bitarakwate Musingwiire. On June 22, 2022, Bitarakwate issued a letter declaring the industrial action illegal. She wrote to UNATU saying the ongoing industrial action by teachers of arts subjects in government schools is illegal and gave them up to Friday, June 24, 2022, to resume work or lose their jobs.
In response to Bitarakwate’s letter however, UNATU General Secretary Filbert Baguma said there has been no satisfactory feedback from government and therefore, the only option is to continue with the industrial action. “We cannot give up the struggle without any positive outcome,” he emphasized.
Arts teachers went on strike on June 15 to ensure fair salary enhancement as their science counterparts. Despite all directives issued to end the strike, teachers continue to strike in anticipation of a solution to address their salary grievances.
In public response to the teachers’ strike, Olivia Namukasa, the head teacher of Kasoga Primary School has appealed to the government to resolve the dispute immediately to help learners in public schools recover from the wasted time during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The teachers’ strike across Uganda poses a threat to the country’s education sector which is recovering from two years of closure of schools, a shutdown that kept thousands of learners at home.
Stephen Sserubula, the Lugazi Municipal Member of Parliament is worried about the future of learners in government schools if the situation continues like this.
Buikwe Inspector of Schools, Chodre Manana said the situation is out of their hands since teachers have decided to stay away. He noted that they have made inspections and submitted the reports to the relevant authorities.
Addressing local government leaders and chief administrative officers from the greater Mbarara District about the Parish Development Model on Monday, Local Government minister Raphael Magyezi said the striking teachers will lose their jobs, and their jobs advertised immediately if they fail to turn up.
“We have issued directives to all chief administrative officers, district education officers, district inspector of schools, sub-county and parish chiefs to go to all schools and compile lists of all those that have refused to return to class and teach,” he said, adding that government has agreed that all those that will not have returned to class by Tuesday, June 28 will have absconded from duty henceforth, sacked and their jobs advertised.