The ongoing arts teachers’ strike is threatening to disrupt learning in the second term of the 2025 academic calendar as thousands of teachers lay down their tools.
Beginning on June 06, 2025, the arts teachers’ strike is still in its first week.
The arts teachers’ resolve will be tested this week after a slow sit down start due to a long weekend and a Monday that was this year’s Heroes Day.
Arts teachers are demanding equal pay with science teachers.
Government increased salaries of science teachers in July 2022.
Arts teachers have been waiting, with the government telling them to wait a little bit more.
Following the promise of government’s commitment to enhancing arts teachers’ salaries in 2026, UPHTU organized regional meetings to discuss the way forward.
Most of the regional chapters of UPHTU resolved that arts teachers should lay down their tools.
They argued that government had made it a habit to promise to increase their salaries only fail to fulfill the promise and make new promises.
The teachers of humanities made it clear that they were tired of the cycle of promises which are not fulfilled by the government.
In their ongoing strike, UPHTU leaders and mobilizers are sharing messages with their members, encouraging them not to give up on the push for equal pay with their science counterparts.
“Teachers of humanities don’t eat commitments. Get money and give to us!” read some of the notices that The Pearl Times has seen.
“We have been patient enough, waiting on government to deliver on its promises, but each time, we are told, “wait for next year or wait for the medium term. We are fed up and tired.”
Arts teachers have made it clear that they want money, and not stories.
The arts teachers’ strike is expected to disrupt the second term of the 2025 school calendar.
As The Pearl Times reported recently, public service minister Muruli Mukasa told leaders of Uganda Professional Humanities Teachers Union (UPHTU) that government was committed to raising their salaries in the 2026-2027 financial year. (See Details Here).
President Museveni’s government claims there is no money to increase arts teachers’ salaries as things stand now, with the president even telling arts teachers that ‘Shakespeare’s plays do not heal dying patients.’ (See Details Here, and There).
There have also been some rumors that government plans to cut the salaries of science teachers after failing to increase salaries of their arts colleagues. (See Details Here and There).
You can see the full salary structure showing how much each government employee category earns every month, and the list of Uganda’s most highly paid government employees Here and There.
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