Scarcity of teachers in UPE schools

There is a move on to paralyse UPE schools yet they help 85% of the local pupil population get basic education

COMMENT | RICHARD MUGISHA | There is a move going on to paralyse Universal Primary Education (UPE) schools in Uganda which I would like to put to everyone’s attention. Remember these schools help almost 85% of the local population in Uganda. But as I write now, many of these UPE Schools which have seven classes are left with an average of four teachers per school. The rate at which teachers in primary schools on government pay roll are applying for early retirement is alarming.

The big problem we have as a country is that we have many intellectuals who do not make research. This analysis is true and correct much as I know many may see me negatively. But after traversing Wakiso district personally as a cadre, these findings may help someone in office to do something.

When we survey our districts that used to have a greater number of teachers in Uganda, you find that half the number have applied for early retirement and their request has been granted. Some teachers who have not reached early retirement age have just absconded the service.

Districts that have been affected most are greater Wakiso , Masaka, Mbale, Jinja , Soroti , Gulu, Arua , not to mention the small districts like Kampala, Buikwe , Kalangala , Kiboga and Kayunga. This means the whole Uganda is at stake. Where are the teachers going? And why are they leaving the profession? Who is going to teach the children of the poor?

What is amazing is that all the stakeholders in the Education fraternity are aware of this but they cannot bring it to the attention of President Yoweri Museveni. This is because when Universal Primary Education and Universal Secondary Education fail, these stakeholders will be the first beneficiary because many of them have invested a lot in their own private schools.

Both Speakers of parliament have their own private schools, the ministers of State have their own private schools, many members of Ugandan parliament own schools, and schools are their side business, not to mention other member of Museveni’s cabinet and ministers of state. Many presidential advisors also own schools.

Now who will give the President the right information about the state of the government schools in Uganda? That’s why many of the government schools in Uganda are in a sorry state, bad shape, filthy environment to mention but a few. These so called stake olders in the Education system cannot inform the President what is on the ground. And these are the very people surrounding him, advising him as far as education matters are concerned.

When you look at the budget for UPE schools, it is too small to run a functional school. That’s why some teachers work minus lunch at school, salary is too small and when the head teachers ask parents to contribute something to supplement the budget, it is a taboo in Uganda. That’s why these poor schools cannot even hire supplementary staff to help those classes without teachers. The head teachers just look on because if they try to ask for money from parents to supplement the staff, you find that RDCs, DISOs, GISOs, come and arrest them.

So the few teachers who are on the station are over worked to bridge the gap of those classes without staff. They do it on the daily basis and have no hope when more staff will be recruited.

When the head teachers go to their respective Local governments, the D.E.Os and D.I.S’s are also stuck. So these head teachers have worked under too much stress which has no solution. Remember at the end of it all the government demands better results from these pupils. The head teachers also transfer the stress to the teachers who are under staffed. When the teachers demand a better pay, the government says all primary school teachers are arts teachers who don’t deserve anything.

So the teachers have endured enough to work in such an environment and when it comes to remuneration which is too little, they said enough is enough and left the teaching profession to try elsewhere.

When you look at that situation critically, you ask questions like: Will the Teachers Policy help this nation? If so when will it help if all teachers are going out of the system?

Remember since the implementation of the Teachers Policy in 2019, teacher training colleges stopped passing out fresh teachers. But who will finish his / her senior six and pass well to go to the university and study primary teaching when they see those in the system are suffering like that and are moving out at a greater speed?

That is something to think about. Let’s pray for our country Uganda but very soon we are going to see schools without a single teacher in our UPE Schools. Is the Ministry of Education aware of what is the UPE Schools? Is the Ugandan parliament aware of the situation in the schools? Why are all ministers of state for Education quiet about this situation?

****

Richard Mugisha is Chairperson National Private Education Institutions Association (NPEIA) Wakiso district