A discriminatory decision by government to increase salaries of science teachers, leaving behind and demoralizing arts teachers, is a recipe for a looming education crisis as science teachers are choosing to retire early, targeting juicy retirement packages.
The Museveni government has continued to bury its head in the sand, with officials parroting the official position that arts teachers’ salaries will be increased when revenue improves.
But government officials who care about education in Uganda are beginning to realize, albeit when it’s somewhat late, that there is a looming crisis of government’s own making.
Here’s what’s happening: a Ugandan science teacher can retire, get a big retirement package and earn more than an arts teacher still in service every month – both earning from the government’s envelope.
So, what is the use of a science teacher keeping in service if he or she can get half pay – which is bigger than a full arts teacher’s salary?
That is the question most science teachers have to answer before deciding on if to quit early. Available reports indicate that District Education Officers (DEOs) are reporting a growing concern of science teachers opting for early retirement to go and undertake private ventures.
Better still, they can still earn some good money from private and government aided schools while doing nothing for government – which will continue to pay them as early retirees anyway.
In 2022, government increased the salaries of science teachers by over 300 per cent. Overnight, the salary of a Grade V science teacher increased from 796,000 to Shs3m.
That of a graduate science teachers increased from about Shs1.1m to Shs4m. But the salary of an arts teacher remained stuck at around Shs800,000.
Same classroom. Same students. Same degree or diploma qualifications – and government defended this as part of its policy to promote sciences.
But it could find itself having to pay more money since it could soon have more early retirees who have to be replaced, paid a retirement package – and half salary every month.
Those familiar with gratuity for early retiring science teachers have put the retirement package at Shs100m and at least Shs1m monthly.
One MP on the education committee of Parliament has broached the issue. Annet Katusiime Mugisha, the Bushenyi District Woman MP, has been quoted as saying that Parliament’s Education Committee was “actively addressing this issue and seeking solutions.”
Katusiime, a first time MP, worries that there could be shortage of experienced teachers especially for the new lower secondary curriculum (NLSC).
“As the Parliamentary Committee on Education, we cannot ignore the alarming trend of science teachers taking early retirement after receiving substantial salaries,” MP Katusiime was quoted as saying.
“Currently, the country is experiencing a massive exodus of teachers retiring before the age of 60, which raises concerns about the lack of training for new teachers, particularly in the new curriculum. We are actively addressing this issue and seeking solutions.”
This year, the first batch of candidates under the new curriculum will sit national exams administered by Uneb for the first time, as The Pearl Times has reported Here and There.
You can see the full salary structure showing how much all government employees earn as well as the list of most highly paid government employees in the country Here and There.
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