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A teacher contributing during a conference session in Gulu City. By Achomo Proscovia Gulu City The arts teachers under their umbrella body, Uganda Professional Humanities Teachers Union (UPHTU) have issued an ultimatum to the government, warning of an impendin
A teacher contributing during a conference session in Gulu City.
By Achomo Proscovia
Gulu City
The arts teachers under their umbrella body, Uganda Professional Humanities Teachers Union (UPHTU) have issued an ultimatum to the government, warning of an impending strike if long-standing salary disparities and restructuring demands remain unaddressed.
In a strongly worded statement, the union announced that its members will “lay down their tools” starting June 6,2025, accusing the government of failing to honor repeated calls for equitable pay reforms. The move could disrupt academic activities across the region, affecting thousands of students.
This union which represents secondary and post-secondary educators in humanities disciplines such as history, literature, religious education, and language arts, has expressed growing frustration with what they term as, systemic neglect by the Ministry of Education and Sports.
According to the Acting President and Vice President of Uganda Professional Humanities Teachers Union, Topista Akello, repeated appeals for equitable salary enhancements have fallen on deaf ears, despite multiple engagements with the ministry of education and Public Service, no eligible action has been taken.
She confirmed that an official communication had been issued indicating that the anticipated salary enhancements for humanities teachers have been deferred to the 2026/2027 financial year. According to Topista, the government cited budgetary constraints as the primary reason for the delay, stating that the necessary funds could not be allocated in the upcoming financial year.
She emphasized that this postponement has further deepened frustration among teachers, who feel marginalized despite their critical role in the education system. “We are exhausted. Our patience has been overextended since 2018. We have exercised limitations for far too long. But the time for waiting is over. It is now imperative that we take decisive action to demand the justice and recognition we deserve,” said Topista
The teachers argue that their renumeration lags behind counterparts in science, despite similar qualifications. “We are not asking for privilege, we are demanding fairness,” Wycliff Michael Olwoch, the Regional Coordinator UPHTU and also a teacher at St Joseph’s College Layibi in Gulu City stated in a press briefing.
He argues that the preferential treatment given to science educators has created a pay gap that is demoralizing to humanities teachers and detrimental to the comprehensive goals of national education.
Doris Akello, a teacher at Gulu High School expressed frustration at how the current salaries are unsustainable amid Uganda’s soaring cost of living. “We live under constant financial stress and are unable to access a quality standard of living. It is disheartening. Even as the government urges us to upgrade our qualifications, the reality is that we simply lack the financial resources to do so. The system demands more from us while giving us less in return,” Doris lamented.
Mike Akena, Coordinator UPHTU for Gulu District conveyed a sense of resignation and disappointment. ”I have dedicated years of my life to this profession out of passion and commitment, but at this point, I’m only waiting to see what the government does. If there’s no meaningful action and improvement, I’ll be left with no choice but leave teaching behind. It’s not a decision I take lightly, but we have endured long enough,” angry Akena said.
Another teacher from one of the schools in Amuru District who preferred anonymity questioned bitterly, “How can we continue to wait when we are surviving from one loan to the next, our children are still at home? Is this truly fair? We are professionals, yet trapped in cycle of debt just to meet basic needs. The government must be human enough to understand that we are not asking for luxury-we are asking for dignity. We cannot educate the nation while living in poverty ourselves”
Although the government has acknowledged this disparity and announced plans to harmonize salaries by 2027, the Ministry of Public Service has indicated that, over a five-year period, arts teachers’ salaries will be progressively increased to match those of science teachers. However, as of now, the implementation of this plan is still underway, and arts teachers continue to express dissatisfaction with the current pay gap.
According to Ministry of Public service, the monthly salaries of science teachers with graduate level is UGX 4 million, diploma level is UGX 3 million, whereas for arts teachers with degree level is UGX 900,000 and diploma level is UGX 700,000. This means that graduate science teachers earn four times than their counterparts, while diploma-holding science teachers earn nearly double that of arts teachers at the same qualification level.