First Lady Janet Kataaha Museveni’s Ministry of Education and Sports has sent bad news to all teachers who hold pass degrees.
In a letter that Education Ministry Permanent Secretary Ketty Lamaro wrote to all academic registrars of universities and other tertiary institutions on June 27, 2022, regarding the issue of ‘registration of graduate teachers in Uganda,’ no more pass degree graduate teachers will be registered starting next year.
Lamaro noted that in March, 2004, the Chairperson Public Service Commission, issued out an Amendment to Public Service Commission guidelines to District Service Commissions (Amendment of Guideline No. 9.3.2 (c) in which he informed the public that all applicants for the teaching profession should be in possession of Honors Degrees from recognized Universities/institutions.
According to PS Lamaro, teachers with pass degrees who have already been employed by the District Service Commission will keep their jobs but nobody with a pass degree will be registered by the ministry for appointment for a payroll job.
“He further explained that this amendment of guidelines was not to affect graduates with Pass Degrees that were already appointed in the District Service,” she wrote.
“The Ministry of Education and Sports, studied the amended guideline and has noted the public’s views about the Pass Degree Graduate teachers. In the teaching profession, when one is registered, it is an indicator that he or she is allowed to teach and can be appointed. There are a good number of teachers who are not yet appointed in Public Service but have Pass Degrees.”
The Permanent Secretary then made it clear that registration of pass degree graduate teachers will stop on December 31, 2022.
“The purpose of this communication, therefore, is to inform the public that Ministry of Education and Sports, will start implementing this amendment of guideline No.9.3.2 (c) with effect from January 2023. This means that only graduates with Honors degree will be registered as teachers,” noted Lamaro.
The notice comes at a time when thousands of teachers have completed their oral interviews for government payroll jobs. (See names of the shortlisted teachers most of whom will soon be given government payroll jobs Here, There and Even Here).
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In order to improve service delivery and end the challenge of strikes over low pay, President Museveni’s government has proposed huge salary increments for teachers, doctors and other employees starting July 2022. (Read Story Here)
The proposed increments have left many people wondering if government will really fulfill this pledge and increase salaries by very high amounts.
For example, opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye has argued that the promise of salary increment is just ‘another lie.’ (Read Story Here).
Finance Minister Matia Kasaija recently said the money for increasing teachers’, doctors’ and other civil servants’ salaries was available. (Read Story Here).
In August 2021, cabinet approved salary increment for teachers, doctors and other health workers. (Read Story Here).
See the salary structure that had been proposed for the current financial year here.
UPDATED LIST: See Salary Structure for All Government Workers
Meanwhile, an NRM MP has angered teachers after telling them they are too poor to go on strike. (Read Story Here).
