The salary differences in government secondary schools between arts (humanities) and science teachers since 2022 have been a bone of contention between government science and arts teachers.
Since June 06, arts teachers have been on strike demanding equal pay with their science colleagues.
In the following report, The Pearl Times looks at the differences for arts and science teachers for each of the key teaching roles.
The roles we are looking at in this report are: headteacher, deputy headteacher, education officer or graduate teacher (with a degree), and assistant education officer (diploma teacher).
First, for the headteacher role, a headteacher with an arts background earns a gross pay of about Shs2.27m (a net salary of Shs1.687m), according to figures obtained by The Pearl Times.
A secondary school headteacher with a science background earns a gross salary of Shs6.5m (a net pay or Shs4.6m) every month.
The gross pay of a science deputy headteacher is Shs4.5m (net salary is about Shs3.2m).
For an arts deputy headteacher, the gross pay is about Shs1.7m (translating in a net pay of Shs1.3m) every month.
As The Pearl Times will show later, the salary of an arts headteacher and an arts deputy headteacher is lower than that of a secondary school science teacher.
A graduate science teachers earn a net salary of nearly Shs2.9m (from a gross pay of Shs4m).
An arts graduate teacher earns a net salary of about Shs841,000 (from a gross pay of a little over Shs1m.
For a diploma science teacher, the gross pay is Shs2m, which translates in a net pay of about Shs1.6m.

You can see the full salary structure for all government employees is Here.
You can see the names and salaries most highly paid Museveni State House employees, and presidential advisors Here and There.
MORE ON ARTS TEACHERS’ STRIKE
- Museveni RDCs Threatening Striking Arts Teachers — Union Boss
- NOT A PRIORITY: Arts Teachers Get Nothing as Janet Museveni’s Education Ministry Receives Shs5 Trillion. See How it Will be Spent
- IT IS TOO LATE: Public Service Minister Promises Arts Teachers Salary Increment in 2026
- We Don’t Eat Empty Promises: Ongoing Arts Teachers’ Strike Threatens to Disrupt Learning in Government Schools
- SHAKESPEARE’S PLAYS DON’T HEAL DYING PATIENTS: Museveni Insists on Paying Scientists More Money Than Arts Counterparts
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