Ms Janet Kataaha Museveni, Minister of Education and Sports, has ordered all striking Arts teachers to return to class immediately, despite the government’s promise to progressively increase their pay.
Ms Museveni stated during the introduction of the Parish Development Model (PDM) in Ntungamo District that teachers disrespected God, the government, and Ugandans by going on strike since they were supposed to serve.
“Leaders, go inform teachers that they violated our government by continuing to pay them when they were not working during the lockdown.” As a result, and much to my chagrin, instead of paying for the lost time and money, they have gone on strike. What type of people do they seem to be?” Ms. Museveni was perplexed.
She wondered why so many competent teachers were living on the streets while those in service were refusing to go to work.
“If they are to help themselves, they should return to class immediately,” she said. “Recently, when the Education Service Commission was conducting interviews, approximately 30,000 teachers applied and only 3,000 were shortlisted, implying that there are many teachers on the streets and it is possible that others can be recruited if they remain defiant.”
Minister Museveni promised the striking teachers that the government intends to raise the pay of all government officials in the coming years.
“The government has been boosting teachers’ pay yearly since 2016, while teachers at private schools are given meager salaries; nonetheless, they have never engaged in strikes, and art instructors protesting should take a page out of their book.”
Ms Museveni’s instruction comes after Local Administration Minister Raphael Magyezi said on Monday that the government had decided to fire protesting teachers by the end of Tuesday.
Mr Ben Kumumanya, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, directed Chief Administrative Officers, Town Clerks, sub-county chiefs, parish chiefs and town agents, district inspectors of schools, and district education officers on Monday to compile lists of absent teachers by the end of business on Tuesday and submit reports to the Ministry of Public Service and Local Government for appropriate action.
However, Mr Filbert Baguma, general secretary of the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (Unatu), stated that arts teachers will continue to strike unless their concerns are addressed.
Mr Baguma went on to say that anybody who believes their strike is unlawful could file a lawsuit. On June 15, arts instructors went on strike.
Ms Museveni commented on the PDM, urging Ntungamo villagers to embrace the initiative, which she claims would economically empower them.
She said that the best way for Uganda to reduce its reliance on foreign assistance is to increase agricultural output among Ugandans by embracing the many firms under the PDM.
“I want you, the people of Ntungamo District, to listen carefully. “Embrace the PDM if you really believe in me, and I know you do,” she said.
“You just handed me another term as district NRM chairman in my absence, therefore I am warning you that if the PDM fails in the district, I will cease participating at your activities,” she said.
She challenged citizens to make Ntungamo the model district for PDM implementation across the nation.
She said that in order to move the 39 percent of Ugandans out of the subsistence sector and into the money economy, they must accept all pillars of PDM.
