President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni’s government, particularly the ministries of Education, Public Service and Finance, are in panic after reports that several head teachers and deputy head teachers, including recently recruited ones, have asked to be demoted or be allowed to resign in protest of the new salary structure that they consider discriminatory.
The matter of the reports that school heads were willing to resign their jobs since the science teachers whose salaries have been enhanced in the current financial year will be earning more money than those who supervise them take home every month.
Starting July 2022, a senior science education officer (senior science teacher) will be earning Shs4.25m up from Shs1.72m every month; an Education Science Teacher (classroom teacher) will be earning Shs4m up from Shs1.21m; an assistant science education officer (diploma holder) Shs2.2m up from Shs933,966; and a laboratory technician Shs2.2m up from Shs858,233.
However, a secondary school teacher will be earning Shs2.35m, less almost Shs2m less than a senior science teacher will be pocketing, and only Shs150,000 more than a diploma holder and a laboratory technician.
A deputy headteacher will be earning Shs1.74m, below all the science teachers at all the ranks.
During Thursday, August 04 plenary, Kalungu West MP Joseph Ssewungu Gonzaga expressed concern expressed concern that despite the salary increment for science teachers, the head teachers and their deputies who are scientists have been left out, leaving them disillusioned and asking to be demoted to the level of classroom teachers.
“Since morning, I am getting a lot of messages on my phone on the state of science teachers versus arts teachers, and deputy head teachers and head teachers who are scientists. It is now known that science teachers have got their Shs4m,” submitted Ssewungu.
“However the science head teachers and science deputy head teachers who are also scientists have been left out. And what is trending on social media, Madam Speaker, is that head teachers and deputy head teachers want to be demoted to classroom teachers.”
He urged the House to ensure that there is a lasting solution on the issue of salary increment disparities, saying it will be the parents and children who will bear the burden of the consequences of demoralized teachers.
“Parliament pronounced itself on equal and equitable payment of teachers. However, what is going to begin to happen is that it’s children who are going to suffer; there is going to be presentism at school but teaching is not going to be there and we should not hide our heads under the sand that there is going to be teaching,” he noted.
“As Parliament, we should do something as fast as possible. Nobody is against science teachers but the discrepancies are going to kill [our children’s education] and the results will display each and everything but the sufferer will be the parent who has paid his or her taxes.”
It should be remembered that the Ministry of Public Service recently announced a Shs3.9 annual allowance for head teachers and their deputies. But even this is still lower than the juicy increment that science teachers have been given. (Read Story Here).
The Public Service Ministry recently released the new salary structure for the 2022-2023 financial year. (See How Much Each Government Employee Will Be Earning every month as well as which employees have had their salaries raised and by how much HERE).
The confusion and panic in schools come about two weeks since the Education Service Commission Hire New Head Teachers and their Deputies as well as Classroom Teachers. (See Their Names Here and There).
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