All Teachers to Get Phased Pay Raise – Museveni

KAMPALA – President Museveni has told public school teachers across Uganda that the government remains committed to enhancing their salaries, but the increase will be implemented in phases. 

Speaking at the World Teachers’ Day celebrations held at Lugogo Cricket Oval in Kampala on Saturday, Museveni emphasized the government’s intention to improve the welfare of all public servants, including teachers, while addressing the constraints in hiring enough educators to meet the country’s growing demands.

“Our intention is very clear. The economy is growing, and inflation is low. Our target is to pay all public servants well but also increase the number of public servants,” Museveni said. 

He noted that Uganda’s education system currently faces a shortfall of teachers, with 15 million students in need of education but insufficient resources to hire the estimated 300,000 teachers required.

The president’s remarks come against the backdrop of dissatisfaction within the teaching profession, where many educators continue to struggle with low pay. 

Public school teachers in Uganda have long faced inadequate salaries, with primary school teachers earning as little as Shs 469,355 (about USD 125) per month, which falls far short of meeting the rising cost of living. 

The issue was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw many private school teachers left without income, further highlighting the precarious financial situation of educators across the country.

At the event, themed “Valuing Teachers’ Voices Towards a New Social Contract for Education,” the First Lady and Minister of Education, Janet Museveni, acknowledged the frustration of teachers awaiting salary increases.

 However, she urged patience, explaining that the government must manage limited resources to ensure meaningful pay rises.

“If we were to spread the little money currently available, the amount each teacher would get would be so small that it wouldn’t make a difference. We are working to lift everyone, but it must be done one step at a time,” she explained.

The government has faced criticism for prioritizing salary increases for science teachers, who recently saw significant pay bumps, while arts and primary school teachers have yet to receive similar increments. 

This disparity has fueled tensions and prompted strikes in the education sector. However, the government insists that its phased approach will eventually benefit all teachers as Uganda’s economic situation improves.

Prioritities 

Museveni explained that due to planning and prioritising, the government started with the enhancement of salaries of science teachers, but the arts teachers will also be worked on. 

“We should start with something that would get us to a higher level. For example, the availability of electricity will mean more factories and more businesses and that means more taxes and so on.”

The President said the NRM government came into power at a time when the economy of Uganda had collapsed and it had a task to revive and expand it through diversification and introducing a new economy of knowledge. 

He said on top of that task, the government needs money to support social services like health and education. 

“We had multiple tasks, first of all we were trying to make the economy recover from collapse and expand it. At the same time, we have got the other task of not just dealing with a small number of learners but dealing with a large group of learners. If we dealt with the small group, we would have a few teachers to teach them and they could be paid very well. A few teachers to teach a few but what would be the impact on the country?” he wondered. 

President Museveni added that due to the idea of prioritising mass education, in spite of all the problems the country has, the literacy rate has gone from 43 percent to 76 percent now.

“Those who were laughing at our strategy, now you see? Everything we do is mass because we try to empower everybody; Mass education, mass immunisation, security for all to bring peace in the whole country.”

The President fulfilled his pledge of Shs20 billion to support the three National Teachers Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations (SACCOs). This follows a pledge he made during last year’s World Teachers’ Day celebrations on October 5, 2023.

The funds, directed to the SACCOs, are expected to provide much-needed financial support to teachers, particularly in rural areas, where access to affordable credit has been limited.

However, the broader challenge of equitable and sufficient compensation for educators remains a central issue in Uganda’s efforts to improve its education system.