LAMBASTED: Museveni Warns Teachers Against Demanding For Salary Increaments

President Museveni (right) and the Minister of Education and Sports, First Lady, Ms Janet Museveni (centre) arrives for the World Teachers Day celebrations at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds in Kampala on November 30, 2022. PHOTO/PPU

By ROBERT KAMUKAMA

KAMPALA, Uganda [SHIFTMEDIANEWS] President Museveni has again lambasted teachers for putting him under pressure o increase salaries for arts teachers.

Museveni was speaking at a belated International Teachers Day celebrations at the Kololo Independence Grounds yesterday warned teachers against pressuring him over salary increment for the Arts teachers.
The seemingly tough speaking  President said money is allocated based on priorities of the government.

“When it comes to expenditure, we must prioritise our spending. So when you come up with useless demands saying we want this tomorrow, then you are the enemy of progress,” the President said.

He warned further: “I want to tell teachers that money is not obtained from witchcraft. Money is obtained from hard work and sweat. They should stop this indiscipline of putting me under pressure. We shall not agree to anybody making us make a mistake … I will not allow unrealistic threats from you. You cannot say we want our money tomorrow. What if we do not have it? You should be polite and desist from coming here to give me long lectures.”

Museveni said whereas he acknowledges the importance of all teachers, he started with scientists because of their importance in the development of the country.
The President was reacting to demands made by the Secretary General of the Uganda National Teachers Union (Unatu),  Filbert Baguma.

Baguma had in his presentation earlier asked Museveni to effect the increment of salaries of Arts teachers in primary and secondary schools across the country in the 2022/2023 Financial Year.
“Whereas we support the grand plan government has for scientists, this does not take away the fact that a 300 percent increment for some people and zero increment for the other is unfair,” Baguma said.
Baguma said there is disunity between the Science and Arts teachers of the same schools and this has affected teamwork which is required in the delivery of education.
He urged the government to conduct a survey on how disparities in salary increment has impacted teachers’ performance in schools.

Unfulfilled Pledge of Shs20b

Baguma also reminded the president regarding the Shs20 billion Covid-19 relief pledge he made to teachers in private schools across the country in 2020, saying they have not yet received the money.
He asked the President to intervene in the matter.
He also asked President Museveni to compel the government to come up with a minimum salary structure for teachers in private schools to curb their exploitation.
The Unatu leader further urged the government to subsidise tuition or come up with study loans to enable teachers upgrade to degrees to meet the requirements as stipulated in the Teachers Policy.

 

Shift Media News

Read Previous

NABBED: Oyam Inspector Of Schools Arrested Over Extortion

Read Next

HAILED: Presidents Office Hails Oyam District For Combatting Corruption

Leave a Reply