GOVERNMENT – UNATU SALARY SKIRMISH PUNCHES HARD ON LEARNERS AND PARENTS

By Munguci Isaac Jerry

Arua City

The ongoing industrial action of teachers under their umbrella body the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) across the country over salary disparities is frustrating parents’ efforts and learners’ commitment to education in public schools as they fight hard for success in the national examinations coming in few weeks.

Following government’s continued silence on UNATU’s demand for salary enhancement for all categories of teachers, the Union’s National Executive Council in a meeting with the branch chairpersons on September 11, 2025 resolved to resume industrial action effective September 15, 2025, the day to officially open term three, leaving teaching and learning paralyzed with learners wondering between their homes and school.

According to Jackson Arima the Arua Hill Primary School Chairperson Parents Teachers Association in Arua City, education is children’s right and their future depends on it calling upon teachers to own the children.
“It is very unfortunate, it is frustrating efforts by UNATU to the parents. There are no teachers in some schools. The future of the child now depends on teaching and if this is understood by many parents and teachers who own the children as their own, somebody will not get up and say let us start this industrial action,” Arima said.

Meanwhile, Charles Anguandia the PTA chairperson of Odravu Primary School in Arua City equally laments that such industrial actions affect children’s progress in education with the girl child being more endangered.
“Some few teachers report to school. If the teachers do not enter in the class, children are now missing the lessons. They need to correct the issue of the teachers so that they can enter in the class and resume teaching,” Anguandia suggested.

But Rashid Anguzu the Head teacher Arua Secondary School urges the government to respond positively to the concerns of the teachers to bring harmony within the teaching profession that is now suffering internal conflicts.
“I do sympathize a lot with my colleagues whose salaries are very low. According to what I have heard about the industrial action, there is an ongoing negotiation with the government on increasing the salaries of the affected teachers. How I wish they reach an understanding so that there is harmony within the teaching profession,” Anguzu responded.

Last year, West Nile region registered a drastic decline in the overall number of candidates who sat for primary leaving examination PLE with Obongi and Madi Okollo districts among the worst performers countrywide.