HOIMA– The ongoing industrial action by teachers in the country has forced head teachers in Hoima district to pay some teachers so that they attend to primary seven candidates who will sit for Primary Leaving Examinations [PLE] a few months from now.
Teachers under the umbrella of Uganda National Teachers Union [UNATU] have since June 15, 2022, laid down their tools in their quest for equal salary enhancements, following the government’s decision to only increase the salaries of science teachers in the financial year 2022/23.
Government’s threats to have teachers put off the industrial action have not yielded any positive results, forcing the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service, Catherine Bitarakwate to call UNATU leaders for a meeting this Friday.
Birakwate had given the teachers up to June 30, 2022, to report to their working stations, or else they would be deleted from the government payroll.
During a recent unplanned visit to schools by Hoima district chairperson Kiringi Kadiri, it was discovered that several pupils from primary one to six had not turned up except tprimary seven candidates who were found studying while some schools were totally closed.
At Kibingo Muslim Primary school, only five teachers out of 10 had turned up while all pupils were absent. At Buyanja Primary school, neither teachers nor pupils reported.
At Kisiita Primary School, only two teachers out of Eight teachers, reported for work while 66 pupils out of over 200 did not turn up.
Bernadette Kanyange the head teacher of Kakindo primary school in Bulindi town council said nine out of 10 teachers reported to their work station but they did not go to class to teach.
She added that because of the crisis, only about 100 pupils out of 400 turned up, adding that since they had no teacher to teach them, she encouraged them to play games such as football so that they keep in school.
She added that she had convinced the primary seven teachers to come and teach the candidates on the grounds that she would pay for their days.
Tom Tomanya, the head teacher of Bulindi Church of Uganda said that he agreed with teachers to pay them an incentive so as to teach primary seven candidates.
He noted pupils from primary one to six were absent, adding that out of 800 learners at the school, only about 50 primary seven candidates had turned after he convinced their teachers to come and teach as part-timers.
Gordon Kigongo, the head teacher of Sir Tito Winyi Secondary School said science teachers were seriously teaching while arts teachers had reported to school but refused to go to class and teach.
He noted that he tried to convince the teachers to attend to pupils but they refused to adhere to his requests, calling upon government to intervene and save the situation. “Government should consider uniform salary increment for all teachers since the prices of commodities has skyrocketed and we buy from the same market,” he said.
One of the teachers at Sir Tito Winyi who preferred anonymity said that they were ready to listen to pleas of the head teachers but he added he was pissed off by Prime Minister Robbina Nabbanja who said government would recruit new teachers to replace those who are holding industrial action.
“You cannot force a teacher to teach and you think he is going to deliver what is expected of him or her,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kiringi has called on the government to listen to teachers instead of intimidating them, adding that there is need for the government to embrace a uniform increment of salaries of all civil servants to address such strikes.
He noted that such industrial action not only affects the education of the children but also a common, adding that President Museveni was misled on this matter.
Swaibu Nyagabyaki the Hoima district speaker blamed the government for the crisis, adding that it was wrong to have a selective salary increment.
He noted that teachers have the right to hold their industrial action adding that there is a need for the government to sit with teachers. He noted that using force and intimidation is a wrong approach that might cause a crisis.
https://thecooperator.news/u-turn-as-public-service-ministry-calls-teachers-for-dialogue/
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