The new academic term on Monday opened normally at schools across Gulu and Amuru districts despite an earlier call by the teachers’ union to resume a strike.
At most schools, pupils and teachers could be seen in class allaying fears that the teachers would stay away from work. At Mutema primary school in Amuru district, 5 teachers out of 14 had reported to work by 9am while 180 pupils out of 1,036 were already in class.
Charles Ayiko, the head teacher at the school said he could not explain the whereabouts of the missing teachers. He explained that while they had opened the term, they were appealing to government to consider their plight and increase their pay. Ayiko however said he feared that teachers could fail to commit themselves to work owing to their unmet demands.
At Laroo primary school in Gulu municipality, a handful of pupils were at school by 10am while 24 teachers had already signed the arrival book. Charles Ouma, a teacher at the school said they were yet to hold a meeting to receive a directive issued the previous day by the Gulu Chief Administrative Officer, who relayed a directive by the ministry of education asking all the teachers to report to work.
On Sunday, the district leadership, perhaps afraid that the teachers would fail to open the schools today, called an emergency meeting for all the head teachers and instructed them to report any teacher who fails to turn up for work.
Abdalah Kiganda, the Gulu Chief Administrative Officer said they were going to deploy monitors to ensure a directive by the ministry of education calling teachers to work normally is upheld.
Acire Jose Jola, the Gulu municipal education officer said they were at a cross road situation. He explained that they were being asked to enforce a difficult directive.
The call by UNATU for teachers not to open the term followed by directives from government threatening expulsion of teachers who failed to report to work, has attracted a big concern among a section of the public.
Martin Ojara, the Gulu LC5 chairman described it as ‘broad day madness’ for government to think the demand by teachers is unrealistic. Ojara, a teacher by profession asked government to improve the welfare of the teachers to enable them dedicate themselves to their duty.
Caesar Abola, a parent at Laroo primary school said he was saddened by the manner in which government was treating teachers. He said government is just intimidating teachers from demanding for better welfare.
