Teachers in government-aided primary schools across Kamwenge district have resumed work following the suspension of the teachers’ strike by the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU).
The industrial action, which began in September at the start of the third term, was called off last week after a meeting between UNATU leaders and speaker of parliament Anita Among.
In a statement, UNATU said the decision to temporarily suspend the strike was made in good faith, to give room for continued negotiations with the government over salary enhancement demands.
The union emphasised that the government must honour its commitment to address salary disparities between arts and science teachers and provide a clear roadmap for implementing the 2018 Collective Bargaining Agreement.
A visit by our reporter to several schools in Kamwenge found that most teachers had returned to class. At Kamwenge Railway primary school, all 14 teachers reported for duty, with 600 out of 764 pupils in attendance.
At Biguli primary school, 8 of 10 teachers resumed work, though only 193 out of 600 pupils attended classes. Monic Natuhamya, the headteacher of Biguli primary school, said one of the absent teachers was on annual leave, while another was attending to a personal matter.
At Kimuli Kidongo primary school, headteacher Denis Mwijuka reported full teacher attendance of 11, but only 121 out of 500 pupils turned up. Headteachers at the visited schools said lessons resumed immediately, with teachers showing determination to recover lost time.
However, they expressed concern about low pupil turnout, suggesting that some parents who had transferred their children to private schools during the strike may not yet be aware that classes have resumed.
John Mubunga, UNATU chairperson for Kamwenge district, commended teachers for their patience and solidarity during the industrial action. He, however, cautioned that if the government fails to fulfil its promises, the union might be left with no option but to resume industrial action.
Of course UNATU is successfully playing about with the NRM politics. One time it does not want to be seen as very much against the current government and then the next time UNATU is with the striking teachers and very much against this long serving dictatorship of a government. One wants to know how much money of tax payers has been sorted out so that another teacher industrial strike can be stopped. Good that in this age of digital education where AI is a must, there are many educational fraternity that are not sleeping on their jobs. Many African children are now digitally oriented and capable of obtaining universal education whatever lies these dodgy African politicians preach about great expensive government education. AI can certainly educate cheaply all the African children on continent Africa without government unionised expensive teachers and their expensive lifestyles!
As the above picture shows clearly how bored some of the very young pupils in the classroom are terribly bored, AI is coming out with all its mighty educational force in Tick Tock social media to educate communities of all ages what all this world of ours is all about!