You can be replaced instantly - Janet Museveni tells striking teachers

While addressing local leaders in Ntungamo at the launch of the Parish Development Model (PDM) in the district, the minister wondered what kind of people the teachers are.

“What kind of people are they? Leaders go and tell your teachers that they have betrayed government and Ugandans through their industrial action. They were called to serve,” Janet said.

More than 100,000 arts teachers under their umbrella association of the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) are on strike over wage differentials which saw science teachers earning more than their arts counterparts. The teachers have called into question the fairness of this measure,

Ms Museveni, however, reminded her audience that government did not default on payment during a time when schools were closed due to the effects of Covid-19, but now teachers are striking instead of paying back government for its effort.

“We kept paying them when they were not working, instead of compensating for the lost time, they are now striking.,” she added.

The minister said that teachers should return to class or risk being replaced by many other unemployed teachers who are up for the task of teaching.

“There are many teachers on the streets. Recently when we conducted interviews to recruit 3,000 teachers, we received more than 30,000 applicants,” she said.

She said government is taking an incremental approach to teachers’ salaries, saying that they will start with science teachers before addressing all teachers’ grievances.

Parish Development Model (PDM)

Janet, who is also the First Lady, said that if the PDM is implemented properly, it will develop all parishes and the country at large.

“Ugandans are mostly hardworking people, but the problem is that the extension workers do not reach the grassroots to impart adequate knowledge and necessary skills to the people,” she said.

She appealed to the present leadership of the Ministry of Agriculture to ensure that the extension system efficiently works.