NOT A PRIORITY: Arts Teachers Get Nothing as Janet Museveni’s Education Ministry Receives Shs5 Trillion. See How it Will be Spent

First lady Janet Museveni’s Ministry of Education and Sports (education sector) has been allocated over Shs5tn in the 2025-2026 financial year budget — but enhancement of salaries for secondary school arts teachers did not seem to be a priority.

In his budget speech for the 2025-2026 financial year, Finance Minister Matia Kasaija first listed milestones have achieved in the education sector in the current financial year.

Kasaija noted that government provided access to Universal Primary Education (UPE) for 9.52 million learners and 995,116 learners under Universal Secondary Education (USE) and Universal Post O’ Level Education and Training,

Also, over 5,192 students, both on degree and diploma programmes, benefitted from the Higher Education Students’ Loan Financing Scheme. In addition, 4,000 learners benefitted from Government sponsorship joining public universities.

He also listed achievements in the sports sector in reparation for CHAN and AFCON27.

“Government has so far spent Shs 496.8 billion for the construction of Hoima and Akii Bua Stadia as well as the associated training facilities across the country. Government will spend a total of Shs 1.34 trillion to get these facilities completed. In addition, Mandela National Stadium has been upgraded, and Government commissioned the National High-Altitude Training Centre-Teryet, in Kapchorwa,” noted Kasaija.

He also said that in order to improve compliance with quality standards, Government digitalised school inspections in all public schools and certificate awarding Technical, Vocational, Education and Training (TVET) institutions.

The other achievement was the establishment of the Uganda National Institute for Teacher Education (UNITE) with the view of improving the qualifications and skills of primary school teachers to meet the new minimum education requirement of degree level.

“So far, UNITE has enrolled 1,000 students across five campuses, and has been supported to undertake staff recruitment and to take over the operations of 23 primary teachers’ colleges to upgrade certificate teachers to diploma level,” Kasaija added.

Government also implemented the TVET reform to increase industry participation in TVET training and delivery. A new TVET Council, Sector Skills Councils and Secretariat have been established with representation from various sectors.

It is at the TVET Council that former UNRA boss Allen Kagina recently landed a juicy government job. (See Details Here and There).

The government also invested billions in the rollout of the Abridged A-Level Curriculum to implement the Competence-Based Curriculum for A-level.

“A total of 357,120 learners successfully completed the 4-year cycle under the new Lower Secondary Education Curriculum and are transitioning to the new A-Level Curriculum,” the minister noted.

Also listed among the achievements was the construction of a total of 166 seed schools under the UgIFT Programme.

You can see names of teachers and non-teaching staff already given government payroll jobs to teach in seed schools Here, There and Over There.

NEXT FINANCIAL YEAR’S PRIORITIES

Kasaija noted that in the next financial year, government has provided Shs 5.04 trillion for priority interventions.

These include continuing to provide free education to Ugandans under UPE, USE and Universal Post O’ Level Education and Training; providing sponsorships and student loans for higher education; as well as rehabilitation of 120 traditional secondary schools and 31 special needs primary schools.

The money will also be spent on the construction of 116 new seed schools and expansion of 61 existing secondary schools; recruitment of more teachers and non-teaching staff; as well as strict enforcement of teachers’ and learners’ inspection across the country using an electronic system.

Billions will also be spent on providing textbooks and instructional materials to improve the textbook-to-student ratio to 1:3 from the current 1:15; operationalisation of Bunyoro and Busoga universities; as well as the completion of the ongoing construction of stadia and training facilities ahead of CHAN and AFCON27.

You can read the 2025 full budget speech and state of the nation address Here and There.

ARTS TEACHERS

The budget as it stands now does not have anything for arts teachers who have, under their umbrella body Uganda Professional Humanities Teachers Union (UPHTU), began their strike on June 06, 2025, demanding equal pay with their science counterparts.

They want each graduate arts teacher to be paid Shs4m every month — the same amount that their colleagues who teach science subjects have been earning since July 2022.

As far as government is concerned, enhancement of arts teachers’ salaries is not a priority in the next financial year.

President Museveni has previously told arts teachers that Shakespeare’s plays do not heal dying patients in Mulago, as reported Here.

In a recent meeting with arts teachers’ leaders from UPHTU, public service minister Muruli Mukasa said it was too late to increase the salaries. Muruli Mukasa informed arts teachers of the year that government hopes to raise their salaries — which arts teachers rejected, saying they do not eat empty promises. (See Details Here and There).

You can see the current salary structure showing how much each government employee category earns every month Here.

The lists of Museveni State House most highly paid staff earning between Shs30m and Shs10m, as well as the list of most well paid presidential advisors earning between Shs24m and Shs10m every month, are Here and There.

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