Mbarara City schools face teacher shortages, officials warn
As a result of teachers leaving for other sectors such as business and agriculture, primary schools are grappling with a marked understaffing
Mbarara, November 10, 2024 – Mbarara city officials are raising alarms over the increasing number of primary school teachers in government-aided schools resigning to seek opportunities in other sectors, exacerbating the already challenging staffing shortages.
At the recent budget conference aimed at kickstarting preparations for the 2025/2026 financial year, Priscah Murongo, the City Deputy Mayor and Secretary for Education, highlighted that many teachers are leaving the profession to pursue business ventures or seek employment abroad.
“We are facing a situation where teachers are leaving before they even reach retirement age,” Murongo explained. “Some have turned to business, while others have married or left the country in search of better opportunities.”
Murongo further pointed out that the situation has been worsened by the government’s decision to increase salaries for science teachers, leaving arts teachers with stagnant wages. “The Shs 450,000 paid to primary teachers is simply not enough to sustain them,” she said. “Many are retiring early or abandoning the profession to start businesses or get married because the compensation they receive is inadequate. I urge the government to consider improving the salaries of primary teachers before the situation worsens.”
As a result of teachers leaving for other sectors such as business and agriculture, primary schools are grappling with a marked understaffing, which Murongo warned could negatively impact students’ performance in the recently concluded Primary Leaving Examinations [PLE] whose results are expected early net year.
“About 45 percent of primary school teachers in Mbarara City have left the profession in search of better opportunities elsewhere,” Murongo said. “This exodus of teachers is likely to affect the performance of students in this year’s PLE.”
Mbarara City Town Clerk Assy Abirebe Tumwesigire also linked the understaffing in education and health sectors to low wages, which he said have hindered effective service delivery. “The issue of low staffing is especially critical in primary education and health, as we have not had sufficient funding for wages in recent years. Last year alone, we faced a wage shortfall of about Shs 700 million,” Tumwesigire stated. “However, the government has committed to providing additional resources, which will help us recruit more primary school teachers.”
In addition to the education sector, Tumwesigire encouraged taxpayers in the city to embrace automated tax payment systems to help curb corruption he blamed for low tax revenue .
Mbarara City Mayor Robert Mugabe Kakyebezi, meanwhile, urged city officials to prioritise titling all public land, a measure he believes would help curb land grabbing. “All accounting officers are required by law to ensure that the public land under their supervision is properly protected,” he said.
The officials’ concerns reflect broader challenges facing Mbarara City as it grapples with the dual pressures of limited resources and a need for greater investment in public services.
https://thecooperator.news/buhweju-letshego-gives-ple-star-education-bursary/
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