Janet warns private school owners against poaching government teachers

The Minister of Education and Sports, Ms. Janet Kataaha Museveni, has urged private school proprietors across Uganda to desist from employing government teachers, emphasising its adverse impact on education quality.

Speaking at a dialogue with private schools at Green Hill Academy in Kibuli, Kampala, on December 3, Ms Museveni noted that government-employed teachers often fail to perform effectively when they take on part-time jobs in private schools.

“I would like to ask you to ensure you do not employ teachers you know are on the payroll in the public sector. Those teachers in government schools shouldn’t be employed in private schools because they do a bad job in both places,” she said.

She stressed the need for accountability and commitment in the education sector, urging private schools to prioritise service delivery to their communities.

“When you know that we are here to provide a service to our communities, then you must be strict about providing the service you offer. If we cooperate, everybody will do a good job where they are employed to serve, instead of running a zigzag and doing a bad job in all schools,” she added.

Ms Museveni’s warning to private school proprietors comes a month after the Ministry of Education’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Kedrace Turyagyenda, in a circular to school headteachers, revealed that many government teachers have absconded from duty for more than a year while continuing to draw salaries.

In the October 31 letter, Dr Turyagenda further highlighted that some of these teachers are preoccupied with running private schools or moonlighting in private institutions that offer better pay.

Ms Museveni attributed government teachers’ moonlighting partly to the laxity of headteachers and school management committees, emphasising their role in ensuring teachers remain at their duty stations.

“The difference in performance comes down to the vigilance of headteachers and proprietors in private schools. Public schools ought to emulate this because there is no reason why staff who are paid regularly and have job security should not be at their duty station,” she said.

She also called for better working conditions in private schools, emphasising that proper treatment of employees boosts morale and performance.

“Ensure proper treatment of your employees, give them formal contracts, stick to the terms of the contracts, and allow them leave so that they can rest,” Ms Museveni advised.

In response, Mr. Hasadu Kirabira, the chairperson of the National Private Education Institutions Association (NPEIA), refuted claims that private schools lure teachers from government institutions.

“As private schools, we cannot agree that we are fetching teachers from government schools. The teachers in private schools are private teachers. If teachers are moonlighting, it is the government that should align itself,” he said.

He added that in the absence of enough science teachers, a collaborative approach is necessary.

“What government should ensure is that teachers fulfill their duties in both sectors,” Mr. Kirabira stated.

Ms Museveni also cautioned international school proprietors to align their curricula and instructional materials with National Curriculum Development Centre guidelines.

During the dialogue, private school owners submitted a comprehensive list of demands to the Education minister. They were presented by Dr Fred Muhumuza, a senior economist.

Demands by schools

The demands by private schools included: Tax waivers, increasing the teacher-to-learner ratio, creating a single education tax rate as opposed to multiple taxes, exemption from income tax.
Others include: Increasing monitoring and supervision of PLE and USE schools to improve quality,
Revisiting the policy on the closure of PTCs and NTCs to address the scarcity of teachers, and
Urgently operationalising the Uganda National Institute of Teachers Education (Unite).