Teacher absenteeism: gov't to roll out biometric readers
- Written by URN

Students of Kiira college Butiki using the biometrics system roll call
Government is set to roll out biometric finger print readers to curb teacher absenteeism in schools all over the country.
This was revealed by Finance minister, Matia Kasaija while presenting the national budget of Shs 40.48 trillion for financial year 2019/2020 at the Serena hotel conference centre.
According to Kasaija, they will undertake several interventions as a measure to improve on education. He says teacher monitoring and inspection will be improved through rolling out biometric finger print readers to improve school teacher attendance and curb absenteeism.
Kasaija was speaking on the presentation of the Shs 3.4 trillion allocated to the education sector for financial year 2019/2020.
He said although teacher absenteeism was still a problem, a pilot in 20 district showed that absenteeism had reduced to 4% by 2019 from up to 15% in 2015 with the use of biometric finger print readers. He says the situation will improve with the complete roll out of the biometric finger printing system to track teachers attendance.
Kasaija says for the education sector, government will improve instructional practice especially in early grades, in the use of reading materials, enhance early grade numeracy and literacy among others.
The Finance minister also said the minimum standards on teacher numbers, instructional materials, and sanitary facilities across schools shall be established and enforced.
He said seed secondary schools under construction shall be operationalized. Kasaija says as it stands, 92% of all parishes in the country now have a government aided primary and secondary school, while all major regions in the countries have public Universities.
Comments
Secondly they will be vandalized by teachers themselves . The solution is give teachers a modest pay so they don't split their time between riding Boda bodas and teaching
It is high time the various productive industries in Uganda and all the East African countries are forced and probably given subsidies to employ graduates from these public education outlets for at least 2 years on a minimum wage until afterwards they can gain their own employment freedom.
Uganda must start the African exercise to stop the ever increasing young brain drainage that is spreading all over the third world countries.
Teachers are soon going to be online to teach effectively and surely there are many good reason why teachers in Uganda are getting absent from classrooms.
Mr Kasaija has to convince the international technical experts why the young people after earning very hard their education in Africa, many decide to immigrate at any cost.
The technology has removed so many jobs now from the international employment markets where these young people are trying to immigrate.
Is this decent world suggesting that these young people who seem educated should be rounded up and thrown in the sea? Shame indeed for those who are trying these days to plan and budget for the future of young African peoples of this world.