A senior minister in President Museveni’s government has revealed the year when the salaries of secondary school arts (humanities) teachers and those facilitating learning in primary schools are likely to be enhanced.
Although they suspended their strike after their leaders under the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (Unatu) met President Museveni and his wife, also minister of education and sports, secondary school arts teachers and primary school teachers did not get any deal.
The argument by Unatu leaders such as Filbert Bates Baguma was that they had no option but to give in to the demand by Museveni that the union had to call off the strike and urge its members to return to class if they were still interested in talks and negotiations with government.
On July 06, there was heated debate in Parliament after Public Service Minister Wilson Muruli Mukasa presented a statement indicating the government’s official position on salary increment for other government employees other than scientists.
Muruli Mukasa ruled out enhancing salaries for arts teachers or their primary school colleagues. According to the Public Service Minister, teachers are likely to have their salaries raised in the next financial year.
“We are going to continue with negotiations to make sure proper timelines of enhancement is provided,” he said.
“But beginning next Financial Year, we shall continue with the enhancement and indeed certain sectors including the teachers will be considered.”
Meanwhile, Members of Parliament has insisted that Museveni’s government must either divide the available funding for enhancement of teachers’ salaries among both arts and science teachers or process a supplementary budget for the increment of arts teachers’ salaries. (Read Story HERE).
Recently, The Pearl Times reported on the three options through which Museveni’s government can find the over Shs500bn needed to increase arts teachers’ salaries this year. (Read Story Here).
A top official from Janet Museveni’s Ministry of Education has also revealed how much money each secondary school teacher would earn if government shared the available Shs95bn among both arts and science teachers. (Read Story Here).