At least 495Bn shillings was earmarked in the 2022-2023 financial year budget to enhance salaries of science teachers in Uganda. On average each will bag a good 4M shillings monthly on addition to the allowances they get along their line of duty.
This was arrived at after a successful plea bargain between government and Uganda Professional Science Teacher’s Union the defector arm of science teachers that broke a way from Uganda National Teachers Union UNATU a joint teacher’s labor Union in the country. They alleged a separate force would quickly backtrack on government’s promise of nourishing their money purse as scientists abandoning their arts counterparts in the struggle for the same.
These divisions have been engineered by government and the president in particular for his perpetual belief that science teachers are more critical in the development and transformation of Uganda. Mr. Museveni’s preference for scientists over artists in rooted in history even when he neither understands science nor pays scientists decently.
It’s apartheid to pay teachers with the same qualifications unmatched salaries regardless of the subjects or level they teach. A primary teacher with a degree should be paid equally with one teaching in a secondary school with a degree. The same yardstick should be applied if one has a PHD should earn an equivalent to what a university lecture earns even when they teach in primary, secondary or college.
This will directly improve on the standard of education and management at all levels.
Teachers with same qualifications earning differently yet working together will breakdown the spirit of team work and togetherness. Their is no school teaching only arts or sciences meaning these subjects complement each other to offer an inclusive and holistic education. Equally we don’t have separate staff rooms or class rooms for sciences or arts. Its common place to find a kiswahili lesson being conducted in the chemistry lab in schools where structures are minimal.
How is government prepared to solve the the challenges arising from segregation in salary enhancements amongst teachers? Government should also consider marriages of teachers where one is a science and the another arts. How will this category of teachers relate amidst these discrepancies in salaries at home? To make matters worse some teach in the same school. Government is creating a management crisis in school and in such teacher’s homes.
All these show how these subjects and teachers support one another, their should be a unification factor and this should be equal pay for equal qualification.
Some subjects like geography are both science and art, government hasn’t revealed its position on how these will be paid for. Subjects such as physical education, hygiene, computer studies and co curricular activities like swimming, sports, in door games complement both arts and sciences. Is their a special arrangement to pay teachers of these subjects and on which side of the government’s barometer will they fall? Arts or sciences? How about those teaching children with special needs?
To further shade more light on this, all science subjects are taught in languages. Chemistry can be taught in English or Lugwere but not in Chemistry. How is government going to compensate the teachers of languages for their contribution towards the success of these science subjects? The answer is through equal pay.
The only difference should be in the allowances science teachers get when they organise experiments, science fairs and workshops. Government is free to use such avenues to channel incentives to science teachers while maintaining equal pay with arts teachers.
Arts teachers can also take up other responsibilities like being prep masters, house masters, and masters on duty for allowances from from their respective schools. That way harmony will prevail.
An art teacher trains students how to draw neat diagrams, this skill is then employed in biology, physics, technical drawing, chemistry to mention but a few.
National Curriculum Development Center, National Council for Higher Education, Uwezo, and UNESCO should advise government on the relevancy of arts subjects in the science world to avoid these unnecessary stand offs.
Government should stop threatening teachers with dismissals because recruiting new teachers would cost it more. New teachers will also ask for better pay. Teachers are sacred, they train all other professions including themselves. Improving their welfare will greatly spur on service delivery in Uganda.
With all these looming strikes in public service on wonders what the worker’s representatives in Parliament are doing. Teachers deserve to have a special representative in Parliament elected by Uganda National Teacher’s Union to keep a breast with government on teacher’s interests and vice Verser.
Let Parliament adopt a supplementary budget to augment salaries of arts teachers as well. The permanent secretary public service Mrs. Catherine B. Musingwiire should also reverse her position of deleting striking teachers from the pay role. The striking teachers are exercising their economic right under article 40(b) of the constitution of Uganda for equal payment for equal work without discrimination.
Science teachers should rescind their silence towards their arts counterparts on this matter and join them to make a stronger teacher’s labour Union because it could be them in need next time.
“The quality of an education system can never exceed the quality of it’s teachers”, said Andrea’s Schleicher, OECD Director for Education and Skills.
Let government always seek dialogue with striking civil servants other than issuing threats.
The writer is a concerned citizen of Uganda.
jpkamwada@gmail.com
0758079362/0780126465
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On a special note today is my birthday. I dedicate this day to all teachers and I wish them victory as a team. May the good Lord be the one to pay you because He knows what you deserve better than the government you serve.
Also I send my sincere gratitude to my dear parents Mr. Walusansa Damien a teacher and mummy Edith Ruth, my Siblings leah, Elizabeth, Anthony, Recheal, Johnathan, Junior, Joy and Ketra.
May God bless them with good health. Amen.
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