Thousands of Qualified Teachers Left Jobless as Government Budget Blocks Recruitment Despite Severe Staff Shortage”

Uganda’s education sector is facing fresh concern after nearly 4,000 qualified teachers were left without government jobs despite successfully passing recruitment interviews.

The Education Service Commission (ESC) revealed that 5,332 candidates qualified for employment after interviews for 43 new government secondary schools.

However, due to limited funding, only 1,333 teachers could be recruited, leaving thousands without appointments.

ESC Secretary Dr Asuman Lukwago said the unsuccessful candidates were not rejected because of poor performance but because the government could not afford to hire more teachers. He encouraged them to apply again when new vacancies are announced.

The development has reignited concerns over Uganda’s growing teacher shortage, with government reports indicating that more than 87,000 teaching positions remain vacant across the country. Teachers’ unions have urged the government to increase funding, arguing that qualified teachers are available but cannot be absorbed because of wage budget constraints.

As Uganda continues expanding secondary education through the construction of new seed schools, education experts warn that building classrooms without enough teachers could undermine the quality of learning.