Private schools understaffed as teachers abandon profession

Teachers are abandoning the profession completely in favour of personal business

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Some private schools around Kampala and Wakiso are operating while understaffed, while others have resorted to hiring part time teachers.

The unstable situation in schools has resulted from some private teachers abandoning the profession to concentrate on their private businesses, hence leaving the schools in dilemma.

During the lockdown, a number of teachers from private schools were reported to have struggled to make a living, as their employers could not afford to continue paying them on grounds that their only source of income was fees paid by learners on a termly basis.

According to Sulait Ssekandi, the headteacher Broadway High School Kampala, the pandemic has done much to open people’s eyes including teachers.

Ssekandi says his school has so far lost one teacher but he is not certain about the rest, saying that it is difficult to make teachers stay in one place especially at this time when schools are struggling financially.

He says the school will temporarily contract part timing teachers as a quick option using the little resources available as they wait for the situation to stabilize.

Ssekandi indicates that the other solution now is to create good communication between the school managers and the teachers promising improvement as the situation improves.

Meanwhile, Gordian Ahaisibwe, the headteacher Emma High school says the school lost three teachers but was not ready to recruit more staff due to the financial constraints.

Ahaisibwe explains that given the staggered manner in which they are operating, the school decided to let the available teachers handle as they wait for the entire school to reopen then they will think of bridging the gap.

Patrick Nnyonyintono, the director Kann High school says he lost two teachers where one left the profession completely for personal business and the other relocating to another school after the lockdown.

Since the closure of schools that lasted for over a year, several teachers have been abandoning the profession for other jobs while some started up personal businesses, leaving the schools that are operating in a staggered manner struggling financially.

Despite this, schools are still having hope of reopening for a new academic year that will start with all students going back to school under a new academic year 2021.

According the ministry of education calendar, term one will begin on August 09, 2021, to run for 12 weeks and then term two begin on November 15, 2021 to run also for 12 weeks, then term three that will also run for twelve weeks will start on February, 21, 2022, ending in May ,02,2022.

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