Over 400 teachers, head teachers transferred in West Acholi

Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | 430 teachers in government primary schools in the West Acholi sub-region have been transferred.

In Gulu district, at least 70 teachers, 8 head teachers, and 7 deputy head teachers were transferred to new duty stations across the district.

Jackline Akello, the Gulu District Education Officer says the transfers were based on the number of years a particular teacher has served at a school, requests from individual teachers and the filling of staffing gaps.

“The Education policy states that the maximum period a teacher can serve in one school is five years but there are teachers who have spent 15 years, others even more than 20 years in one school. We had to transfer them to new schools,” says Akello.

The District Education Officer notes that the transfers will help fill gaps in some schools with many learners but few teachers.

Data from the Education Department indicates that schools with high pupil enrolment include Awach Primary School which has 1,400 learners with only 18 teachers and Kiju Hill Primary School with 848 pupils and only 10 teachers.

“Awach Primary School is supposed to have 26 teachers but only had 18 teachers. We transferred 4 teachers to the school to boost the manpower there while Kiju Hill Primary School had 10 teachers instead of the required 16 teachers. We have deployed there an additional four teachers to fill the gap,” explained Akello.

She further explained that managing learners becomes a challenge when a school is understaffed.

“Understaffing comes as a result of good performance by teachers in a particular school. When a school performs well, especially in Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE), there is a tendency for parents to transfer their children to such schools,”

In Amuru, Christopher Ocan, the District Inspector of schools says that 101 teachers including 80 classroom teachers, 15 head teachers and 6 deputy head teachers were transferred to new duty stations.

“The transfer of teachers was mainly to balance staffing in schools and take teachers who had overstayed in one school to a new working environment,” says Ocan.

In Omoro, Reverend Vincent Ochieng Ocen, the District Education Officer says 175 teachers including 23 head teachers, 12 deputy head teachers and 140 classroom teachers were transferred.

“The transfers are a normal process. Teachers who were transferred had stayed in one school for over 8 years. We want them to change the environment so that we improve performance. Some teachers get used to the environment and fail to perform. Some of them are now involved in digging and forget their duties.

In Nwoya, 84 teachers including 16 head teachers, 12 deputy head teachers and 56 classroom teachers were transferred to new schools, according to a list signed by Jenepher Nantume Egunyu, the Chief Administrative Officer Nwoya District.

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