By Western Focus Team
Local leaders in Greater Bushenyi region have decried the rate at which teachers are quitting the classrooms with majority seeking for early retirement.
The local leaders said unless government intervenes and take deliberate action, the sector is heading for a crisis.
“We must ask ourselves why teachers are opting for early retirement,” said the Buhweju District chairman Deo Atuhaire.
Atuhaire said the issue of discriminating between science and arts teachers by government has caused a lot of imbalance in the sector leading to a decline of morale amongst some teachers especially those teaching arts subjects.
Atuhaire was on Thursday speaking during the Greater Bushenyi Teachers SACCO function that took place at St Kagwa play grounds in Bushenyi/Ishaka Municipality. The Minister for Education and sports who is the First Lady Mrs. Janet Museveni who was expected to be the guest of honor was represented by the State Minister for Primary education Dr Joyce Kaducu. Earlier, the Minister laid a foundation stone at the Teachers SACCO head office before she opened it officially.
Atuhaire disclosed how about 28 teachers in Buhweju district have submitted their requests seeking for early retirement. He also explained that since COVID-19 time, a number of teachers lost interest in teaching especially those who tried and tested business and other enterprises like agriculture.
Caption: Greater Bushenyi leaders, education authorities join teahers and the State Minister for primary education Dr Joyce Kaducu (in yellow) to cut a cake to celebrate the Teachers’ SACCO achievements.
Atuhaire appealed to government to address the issue of salary disparities urgently and create equity. He also said that even when districts recruit teachers, some teachers upon accessing the payroll, they don’t show up to work. He further called for a special consideration for teachers working in hard to reach areas.
Atuhaire vowed to support teachers especially those teaching arts once they declare a strike demanding for salary increment.
The Bushenyi district chairman Jaffari Bassajjabalaba said it was unfortunate for government to increase salaries for scientists at the expense of arts. “It’s very unfair,” he said.
Bassajjabalaba cited two cases in Bushenyi district where two teachers have applied for retirement and the science teacher is likely to take a gratuity worth Sh115million while the arts teacher is to take a gratuity of about Sh33million.
Some sources say that even some scientists especially those remaining with few years to retire are opting to retire early because they have realized that the gratuity money that one can get can enable one to venture into another business/enterprise.
Bassajjabalaba also pinned government on why it left out the science teachers in primary schools. “Policies must be done equitably,” Bassajjabalaba noted.
Responding to the local leaders concerns, Kaducu said government has a plan of increasing salaries but in a phased manner.
“As you all know, we have a President, Yoweri Museveni who is so passionate about teachers’ welfare and he has always wished teachers well a reason why he initiated salary enhancement policy beginning with scientists,” Kaducu said. She appealed to teachers to remain patient as government sources for funds to fund salary increments.
In the message that was delivered by Kaducu, the First Lady Mrs. Janet Museveni commended the founders and teachers for taking the initiative of starting up a SACCO to better their lives and their families. She advised the leaders of the SACCO to develop a robust mobilization strategy to recruit more teachers to join the SACCO.
According to the SACCO’s Board chairman Kafaaku Kodoni, teachers in Uganda Bushenyi in particular had/have endured low salaries for decades and this has meant that engaging in business enterprise is extremely hard.
“We realized that many teachers including the longest serving teachers were living a life of hand to mouth, without saving anything to fall back to,” Kafaaku explained.
“Many could not and cannot even afford good education for their own children and this situation was exacerbated by the attitude of many big banks that regarded teachers as low income earners who are not creditworthy,” he added.
Twenty two years down the road, The Greater Bushenyi Teachers co-operative savings and credit society (SACCO) has bridged the gap and provided financial solutions to the Teachers’ needs.
About the Greater Bushenyi Teachers SACCO
It was started in 2002 by teachers like former head teacher Njoki John, Kafaaku Kodoni, Baguma Wilson, Late John Tumuhimbise and Late Adonia Nuwagaba.
They muted the idea of contributing part of their salaries to one member per month. They later shared and sold the idea to another ten teachers.
It has since grown to a membership of 2490 members (1098 males and 1392 females) comprising of teachers of all grades from pre-primary to University.
It runs three branches and two outreaches.
Total assets: 3,292,867,833=
Loan Portfolio: 2,001,340,028=
Savings: 1,069,208,831=
Shares: 1,034,771,331=
A number of schools like Bishop Ogez High school demonstrated how the new curriculum (competence based) is turning around education. In this photo the students show how they have recycled wastes especially plastic bottles that would have turned a menace to the environment.
