HUGE DEDUCTIONS: Leaked Pay Slips Reveal Science Teachers’ NET Salaries, Significantly Less Than Shs4m

Leaked pay slips for thousands of Ugandan teachers on payroll have revealed significant deductions from the Shs4m graduate science teachers expected to earn every month. 

After a long protracted battle with government, science teachers were finally included on the list of scientists who got salary increments. Indeed during the budget reading, finance minister Matia Kasaija confirmed that science teachers were to get a huge pay raise.

But even when the salary increment has been effected, science teachers will have to endure huge deductions as government hews a significant chunk off the Shs4m in taxes and other obligations.

In the end, the science teachers who were gearing up for Shs4m will end up earning an amount that is below Shs3m.

The Pearl Times has seen pay slips for the month of July 2022 for several government teachers at various levels.

According to the pay slips, the gross or base salary of a secondary school Grade V science teacher (Assistant Education Officer) who holds a diploma is Shs2.2m. But the net pay is about Shs 1.6m, meaning that the tax man at Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has got his cut, which added to other statutory deductions amounts to about Shs 579,500.

For a secondary school graduate teacher (Education Officer or Classroom Teacher) who is supposed to get Shs 4m every month, up to Shs  1,119,500 has been deducted in taxes and other obligations, leaving him or her with Shs  2,880,500. 

Meanwhile, despite the huge deductions, science teachers are still earning much more than their colleagues who teach arts subjects.

The gross salary of an arts assistant education officer (diploma holder) is Shs 784,214  while his or her net salary is Shs  626,858, meaning that Shs 157,356  is removed in all the deductions. 

The gross salary of a secondary school arts education officer (classroom teacher) is Shs 960,288. Total reductions amount to Shs 205,836 while the net pay is Shs 754,452. 

Meanwhile, a number of secondary school head teachers and their deputies have reportedly ‘resigned’ over salary disparities since science teachers earn more than them now. (Read Story Here).

You can see the new salary structure for the 2022-2023 financial year, showing how much each government employee currently earns each month HERE.