Darfur Follow-ups: Kampala
The Uganda National Union of Teachers said there has been a large number of deaths among teachers, mainly due to ill health due to poor working conditions.
According to the union, more than 1,000 teachers have died in the country over the past two years. She said Uganda was at risk of facing a teacher shortage by 2025, as poor conditions push more and more teachers to leave the profession.
“These deaths are a result of working and living conditions,” Baguma Philbert Bates, secretary-general of the Uganda National Union of Teachers, told the BBC’s Newsday programme. “There are stress factors related to work pressure, because it is exhausting.”
He added that Ugandan teachers are under constant pressure due to the huge workload caused by staff shortages, as well as their salaries of about 490,000 Ugandan shillings ($125; £100) per month.
Bates said this amount is insufficient to support teachers and their families in the current economic environment.
He said the union has repeatedly urged the government to improve the care of teachers, which will in turn enhance the quality of education students receive.
“Whenever there is a need for political priorities, money is found,” Bates said. Therefore, we cannot say that the Ugandan child should be sacrificed for the sake of the economy.”
