YUMBE SUFFERS SHORTAGE OF MORE THAN 1,000 TEACHERS

A teacher conducts lesson for P.7 class at Nipata Valley Primary School recently. PHOTO BY ROBERT ELEMA 
 
By Robert Elema
 
Yumbe
 
The staffing gap in the education department in Yumbe district is affecting teaching and learning processes across the primary schools in the district, the education stakeholders have revealed.
 
In an interview with Radio Pacis on Tuesday, Mr. Akibaru Aliga, a teacher at Nyori Primary School says, the shortage of the teachers is making them to handle a bigger number of learners than the expected national standard of about 50 learners.

‘’We have about 500 learners in Primary one but this big number of learners are being handled by only 3 teachers. If we followed the national standard of the teacher pupil ratio, then, the rest of the pupils would be sent away,’’ he said.

‘’This big number of pupils are being accommodated in only one classroom and we can’t create more streams because the teachers are not enough,’’ he added.
He said, the big enrolment poses a big challenge at the time of giving class activities because it's hard to mark the books of about 500 learners.

He added that, a teacher who gives more than 5 assessment questions would find him/herself marking the books for about 3 hours and this affects the next lesson and the teacher’s health.

Mr Robert Angoliga, the UNATU chairperson said the ban on recruitment of staff has greatly affected the education sector especially the primary sector.

He said, Yumbe has about 137 government aided primary schools and most of them are understaffed yet the enrolment of learners keeps increasing every year.

He attributed the staffing gap in the primary schools to the staff retirement, change of profession, death of teachers and some requests for cross transfer to other districts.

‘’We lost about 25 teachers in 2022/2023 and this year, we have so far lost about 7. As of now, the teachers who died haven’t been replaced because some head teachers delay in submitting data about them to the education office,’’ he said.

Ms Flora Ayakaka, the headteacher of Okubani Primary School said, the school has an enrolment of 1487 learners with the greatest number being the refugees.

‘’In this school, we currently have 9 government teachers but the school being in a refugee setting, the partners have supported us with 17 teachers,’’ she said.

‘’Because of the gap, we have basically allocated the major subjects like English, Maths, Science and SST but subjects like RE, PE and Art/Craft are not being taught,’’ she added.

She said, they have been advocating for more teachers but they are not being given.

CAO responds

Mr. Moses Chuna Kapolon, the Chief Administrative officer confirmed that the district is having serious challenges in terms of staffing.

‘’I don’t have half of the teachers in the district. Currently, I have a total of 1664 teachers and yet I need 2821 teachers, so I have a gap of 1157 teachers,’’ he said.

‘’We want allocation of more teachers. This year, we have just been allocated only 10 teachers and this is nothing,’’ he added.

He said, the teacher pupil ratio in Yumbe is 1:98 yet the national average standard is supposed to be 1:53 and that’s the reason why the available teachers are being overworked and getting frustrated because they are over stretched so, the government should do something on recruitment of teachers.