Private schools share science teachers to bridge staff gaps

Managers of private schools have resolved to share the few science teachers at their disposal in order to bridge the gap left by those taken up by the government-aided institutions after the enhancement of their salaries.

Last year, the government announced that science teachers with degrees would start earning Shs4m and diploma holders Shs3m, while their counterparts teaching arts subjects remained at Shs900,000.

Busoga

The chairperson of Iganga Private Schools Owners Association, Mr Asuman Mpata, told Daily Monitor on Monday that sharing the few teachers is one of the strategies they have employed to maintain good performance in science subjects in their schools.

“When the government schools stopped science teachers from moonlighting in our schools, we came up with a strategy of sharing one science teacher in at least two schools since few (teachers) remained behind,” Mr Mpata said.

Mr Mpata, who doubles as the head teacher of Iganga Parents’ Senior Secondary School, said they have also resolved to employ newly-qualified teachers from various institutions and mentor them to fill the gap.

And in order to ensure their stay in schools after mentorship, Mr Mpata said the new teachers are made to sign contracts guaranting their stay for a specific minimum period.

Mr Mpata said they sign a minimum two-year contract with the solicited fresh graduate science teachers.

The chairperson of private schools in eastern Uganda, Ms Jacqueline Kalule Kasule, said it is no longer possible to retain science teachers in private schools because few (schools) have the capacity to pay them the salaries that match what the government pays.

Ms Kasule, who is also the head teacher of St James Secondary School in Jinja City, said she has lost three science teachers in one term.

“Most private schools have opted to hire science teachers, but that too, has proved expensive as they charge between Shs20,000 and Shs50,000 per hour,” Ms Kasule said.

Mr Ambrose Mutuma, a science teacher at St James Secondary School, said most of his colleagues are volunteering in government-aided schools as they plan to secure vacancies.

Mr Moses Kisubi, the head teacher of St Joseph Secondary School, Nakanyonyi in Jinja City, said they are opting to increase fees so that they can retain science teachers.

“The capacity of private schools to retain science teachers is reducing because most of them focus elsewhere, looking for an opportunity. Most of my teachers applied for government jobs but they have not yet gone through,” he said.

He added: “We are likely to increase school fees and most of the students are likely to run away but it is challenging.”

Mr Nelson Balabyeki, the director of Jinja Comprehensive Secondary School, said he is also experiencing a shortage of science teachers, adding that those from government-aided schools who used used to moonlight at his school are also scarce.

“The government is very strict on their science teachers; they have biometric devices where the (science) teachers have to record on a daily basis. They have to be at their job for at least four days [a week], so they no longer have time for private schools,” he said.

In Busia District, private secondary school owners are relying on qualified science teachers who are yet to access the government payroll, Mr Godfrey Osenda Syalo, the director of Bananda High School, said.

He added that after the enhancement of salaries for science teachers, those on the government payroll became “unaffordable” because they demanded for what they could not afford as a private school and in case of any delays to pay their allowances, they would stop teaching without any notice.

Western Uganda

In Fort Portal, the head teacher of Fort Portal SS, Mr Reagan Kateregga, said they have only been saved by the fact that the government halted the recruitment of science teachers thus fresh graduate teachers are available.

Mr Dan Munyambabazi, the director of Vision Secondary School in Kisoro District, and Mr Erasmus Habasa, the director of Brainstorm High School in Kabale District, in separate interviews, said they have not experienced difficulties in attracting and retaining science teachers.

“We recently advertised for a vacancy for Christian Religious Education teacher but it was not easy to get one. However, every time there is a vacancy for a science teacher, many people submit applications,” Mr Munyambabazi said.

He added: “We have introduced incentives to the science teachers for all the practical lessons they carry out and even those that are involved in innovations. This has helped us to retain and attract them.”

Mr Habasa said he has not encountered any difficulties in attracting science teachers to his school because not all of them were recruited by the government.

Mr Richard Dusabe, the director of Bright Future High School in Kanungu District, said they were forced to increase the salary of their science teachers to retain and attract them.

“With the increase in salaries for science teachers by the government, those on private arrangement got a negotiating ground that saw mine get an increase of between Shs200,000 and Shs250,000 to boost their morale,” Mr Dusabe said.

Mr Francis Byamukama, the director of Brilliance High School Kihihi in Kanungu District, said he was mainly relying on part-time teachers, saying he cannot afford rates paid by the government, adding that out of the seven science teachers he has at his school, five are part-timers.

Mr Josey Robert Dembe, the head teacher of Kicwamba High School in Rubirizi District, said when salaries of science teachers were enhanced, four teachers resigned from his school seeking greener pastures.

“I was struggling to keep them in school because they were looking at how much they were earning compared to what was in the market.

“But when the government took over our school in November 2023, the trend changed and we started attracting more teachers because they wanted to get to the government payroll,” Mr Dembe added.

Mr Robert Tumwebaze, the head teacher of Mbarara Modern Secondary School, said: “I harmonised with my teachers and what we agreed on is what I give them; so, we do not have issues with science teachers.”

Buganda

Mr Brian Lukwago, the director of Amazing Love Christian School in Wakiso District, said to retain good teachers, they have devised ways of motivating them.

“In this competitive era, it has proved difficult to retain good staff without motivating them; so, we have come up with strategies of increasing the school income, which has enabled us to pay our teachers relatively well,” he said.

Mr Frank Kyeyune, the head teacher of St Elizabeth Secondary School, Nkoowe, Wakiso District, said science teachers have “an added advantage” compared to their arts counterparts.

“For science teachers, we have slightly raised their salaries because we are competing with the government,” Mr Kyeyune said.

In Mpigi Town, Mr Ronald Musisi, the head teacher of Cornerstone Primary School, said they ensure a good working environment for their teachers.

“If any school administrator wants to retain good teachers, just give them that free working environment so that they can give you their best,” he said.

Mr Benedict Ssemugoma, the proprietor of Bright Star Day and Boarding Primary School in Kyotera District, said five female experienced science teachers quit to work as maids in Saudi Arabia due to the inability to raise their salaries.

Mr Francis Mpiriwe, the head teacher of St Paul Junior School in Mubende District, said due to the economic challenges, they have not increased school fees to meet the school demands like maintaining good teachers.

West Nile

In Yumbe District, Mr Brahan Akbar, the head teacher of Lomunga Secondary School, said he had lost 15 teachers, adding that the ones handling sciences from Senior One to Four are only five.

“The qualified science teachers I have at my school are only two, but the worst thing is that they are also doing part-time, while the rest are Senior Six leavers and the one teaching biology is a primary [school] teacher,” he said.

He added: “Since the science teachers are part-timing, the coverage of the syllabus is not adequate. The situation of the private schools was good when we were still receiving USE grants, but since 2019 when the funds were phased out, we have challenges.” 

At Maaji Seed Secondary School in Adjumani District, the situation is not different. The school has a staff gap of 14 teachers, majority science.

Mr Norbert Evuma, the head teacher, said the school is supposed to have a ceiling of 11 science teachers, but they only have five, leaving a gap of six teachers.

He added that being a new school, most science teachers prefer well-established schools where their names can quickly be confirmed under the government payroll.

In Koboko Municipality, Mr Moses Yeka, the head teacher of Daystar Secondary School, a private school, said the recent enhancement of salaries for science teachers has affected them because most of these teachers are part-timing.

In order to salvage the situation, he said they try to absorb those who are fresh from universities and national teachers’ colleges to bridge the gap.

West Nile

In Yumbe District, Mr Brahan Akbar, the head teacher of Lomunga Secondary School, said he had lost 15 teachers, adding that the ones handling sciences from Senior One to Four are only five.

“The qualified science teachers I have at my school are only two, but the worst thing is that they are also doing part-time, while the rest are Senior Six leavers and the one teaching biology is a primary [school] teacher,” he said.

He added: “Since the science teachers are part-timing, the coverage of the syllabus is not adequate. The situation of the private schools was good when we were still receiving USE grants, but since 2019 when the funds were phased out, we have challenges.” 

At Maaji Seed Secondary School in Adjumani District, the situation is not different. The school has a staff gap of 14 teachers, majority science.

Mr Norbert Evuma, the head teacher, said the school is supposed to have a ceiling of 11 science teachers, but they only have five, leaving a gap of six teachers.

He added that being a new school, most science teachers prefer well-established schools where their names can quickly be confirmed under the government payroll.

In Koboko Municipality, Mr Moses Yeka, the head teacher of Daystar Secondary School, a private school, said the recent enhancement of salaries for science teachers has affected them because most of these teachers are part-timing.

In order to salvage the situation, he said they try to absorb those who are fresh from universities and national teachers’ colleges to bridge the gap

Compiled by Philip Wafula, Tausi Nakato, Abubaker Kirunda, Alex Ashaba, Robert Muhereza, Julius Hafasha, Naume Biira, Felix Warom, Robert Elema, Marko Taibot, Rashul Adidi, Clement Aluma, Felix Ainebyoona, David Awori, Al-Mahdi Ssenkabirwa, Noeline Nabukenya, Fred Muzaale & Malik Fahd Jjingo.