Schools across Uganda today reopened for the third and final term of the academic year, a crucial period that determines student promotion to the next class.
However, the start of the term has been overshadowed by growing uncertainty after the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) announced plans for industrial action.
Parents and learners turned up anxiously at various schools, unsure whether classes would proceed as usual, following UNATU’s declaration last week that teachers would not enter classrooms until government addresses salary discrepancies that have persisted for months.
“This is a promotional term and every lesson counts. Parents are worried about the impact a strike could have on their children’s education,” said Hudson Mutagubya a parent at Bulamu seed School in Mpigi District.
Joan Katushabe, a parent whose child attends one of the prominent schools in Masaka, expressed disappointment with the government for failing to resolve the teachers’ grievances, noting that students lost valuable learning time at the start of the second term due to a similar strike.
“Even last term started with teachers striking. I thought the government would use the holiday to sort everything out, but they didn’t. We’ve been struggling to pay school fees, only to hear that teachers are striking again. It’s really sad,” she said.
The teachers’ body accuses government of failing to fulfill its earlier commitment to harmonize salaries across all cadres in the education sector.
UNATU insists that without immediate redress, its members have no option but to withdraw their services starting today.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education has not yet issued a statement regarding the growing concerns over the situation.
The standoff has sparked fears of massive disruption in an academic calendar already squeezed by previous interruptions, with stakeholders calling for urgent mediation to protect learners’ interests.
