As Uganda joins the world to commemorate World Teachers’ Day, the Uganda National Teachers Union (UNATU) has made a number of new demands to the government.
The Secretary-General of the Union, Filbert Baguma, says teachers are overworked, underpaid, and undervalued, something he says has led to massive resignation of teachers.
He adds that teachers are grappling with a number of professional, economic, and personal challenges that have caused some to quit the profession for alternative ventures.
Baguma says all are worsened by the high cost of living, salary disparity between arts and science teachers, delayed promotion of teachers, inadequate scholastic materials, and overcrowded schools manned by one teacher among others.
It is against this background that the government has been asked to enhance teachers’ salaries fairly without discriminating, provide funds for the operationalization of the teachers’ SACCO, support teachers’ professional development, and invest more funds in teaching and learning to make the work of the teacher easier.
“World Teachers’ Day is celebrated despite the challenges the teachers go through because it’s an opportunity to mobilize support, create awareness of our issues, and many more. If you forget the teacher, you have forgotten education. No education system is better than the quality of its teachers,” Baguma said on Wednesday.
The national commemorative event for the World Teachers’ Day is set to be held at Kololo Independence Grounds, with President Museveni accompanied by the Minister of Education, Janet Museveni, expected.
