Museveni directs on scheme for teachers’ career advancement

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has directed the Ministry of Education and Sports to create a well-defined scheme of service for teachers. This scheme will outline the processes of teacher promotion and remuneration.

The President was Thursday responsding  to Vincent Elong, the Chairperson of the Uganda Professional Science Teacher’s Union who said such a scheme has the potential to streamline teacher compensation, incentives, and motivation, ultimately leading to improved service delivery by teachers.

He pointed out that the absence of a clear career advancement path within the education sector often sees teachers stuck in their initial positions, irrespective of their academic qualifications or experience.

Drawing a comparison with the Foreign Affairs Service, President Museveni noted that individuals can initially hold a lower grade, such as grade six, but can gradually progress over time to grade one.  He suggested that a similar framework should be introduced for teachers to facilitate their career advancement.

He was speaking at Kololo ceremonial ground to where teachers gathered to mark World Teachers’ Day, which revolved around the theme: “The teachers we require for the education we aspire to: The global urgency to address the shortage of educators.”

Currently, there is no clear path for career progression once a teacher assumes a classroom role, even if they improve their qualifications or gain experience. Promotion typically only occurs when a teacher transitions to a deputy headteacher or headteacher role, which isn’t feasible for everyone.

Alex Musaazi, a social studies teacher from Wakiso district pointed out that the absence of such a mechanism has discouraged many teachers from pursuing further academic qualifications, as they lack the motivation to achieve higher degrees.

“When you begin as a Grade III teacher, there is no prospect of promotion or salary increase, even if you attain a master’s degree. A more structured promotion system would eliminate the need for the ministry to mandate teachers to obtain mandatory degree qualifications, people would be doing this on their wish,” Musaazi explained.

Musaazi added that Teachers who invested in upgrading have always been frustrated because their salaries were pegged to the levels at which they teach and not their qualifications. Meanwhile, the President also recollected that this very matter had been raised to his attention in a meeting with Uganda National Teachers’ Union- UNATU leaders held in Bugolobi back in 2011. He expressed surprise and concern, wondering whether those responsible for addressing the issue had disregarded his advice at that time, resulting in the problem remaining unresolved.

Margaret Rwabushaij, former UNATU chairperson and currently serving as a Workers’ Member of Parliament, responded to his statement by explaining that while there was an agreement on this matter in the past, the Ministry of Education had repeatedly made promises to deliver on it but had failed to follow through, leaving the issue unresolved.

Records indicate that the scheme of service currently under discussion was initially formulated in 2005 by the Education Service Commission but has been put on hold ever since. The government’s efforts to promote primary teachers were initiated in the Financial Year 2009/2010 but were subsequently suspended.

In 2011, the then Minister of Education, Jessica Alupo, announced a plan to allocate a budget of 40 billion Ugandan Shillings for this purpose, but unfortunately, no concrete progress was made. Apart from the service scheme, the issue of housing has also emerged prominently this year, with teachers advocating for improved accommodation facilities.

Elong highlighted how this situation was negatively impacting the quality and performance of teachers, as many were burdened by rent expenses and faced long commutes to reach their workplaces. He suggested that the government could address this challenge in two ways: firstly, by establishing a special housing grant to assist teachers in constructing better personal houses, or secondly, by constructing staff quarters on school premises throughout the country.

However, President Museveni dismissed the idea of building individual houses for teachers, indicating his agreement on the need for housing but emphasizing that such housing should be institutional in nature rather than personal.

First Lady Janet Kataha Museveni, the education minister also underscored the importance of addressing this critical issue, stating that it is now a top priority. She acknowledged that in the past, a significant emphasis had been placed on constructing classrooms due to the high influx of students into schools.

However, Ms Museveni added that they have recently made a strategic decision to ensure that every new project includes a component for building staff housing. This initiative began with the UGIFT project, which has been involved in constructing seed schools across the country.

Just like in previous years, demands for a salary increase were once again a prominent part of the Teachers’ Day celebrations. In contrast to previous occasions when the President had a strong reaction to the demands of art teachers who were questioning what they perceived as an unfair increase given to science teachers, leaving them excluded, this time he remained composed.

Museveni also emphasized that he doesn’t underestimate the importance of social scientists, as their contributions are vital alongside scientists. However, he reiterated his earlier message that scientists received raises first because they are fewer in number, and the country urgently requires their expertise to address various pressing issues, even though there are limited funds available for resource development. However, he added that as more funds become available, all teachers will receive salary increases.

This year’s Teachers’ Day celebration appeared to be less vibrant compared to previous years, with a noticeably smaller attendance. Notably, the influential group of teachers under UNATU was conspicuously absent, whereas, on recent occasions, they had a significant presence, painting the venues with their distinctive orange colors. On this occasion, only a few of their representatives attended.

Despite their smaller numbers, the science teachers seized the opportunity to make a strong impression, singing praises and expressing gratitude to the Ministry of Education and Sports and urging their colleagues in the arts to remain patient while waiting for the promised salary increases, which are expected to be implemented in a phased manner.

During the event, UNICEF recognized and awarded six teacher trainers with laptops for their exceptional contributions to the teaching profession. The President also used the occasion to announce his commitment to inject more funding into the savings and credit cooperative societies (SACCOS) of various teachers’ unions.

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