Teachers' strike: Experts call for extra lessons to recover lost time

With barely three months left for learners to sit for their final national examinations, education experts have asked teachers to conduct extra lessons to cater for time learners lost during the recent teachers strike.

The proposal to have extra lessons comes at a time when teachers were left crest fallen after the purpose of their strike was not achieved, leaving a lot desired to prepare learners ahead.

Experts, including officials from the Uganda National Examination Board (Uneb), said teachers can put in extra efforts to recover the lessons missed during the three weeks strike.

The Uneb executive director, Mr Daniel Odongo, said schools should come up with strategies to cover all the lessons, as the board will not in one way or the other change the examination timetables.

 “The teachers’ strike will not interrupt the timetables we sent out. Everything will go as planned. Three weeks lost during the strike is not too much. Teachers should be able to cover the few topics they missed in the remaining time just like they did after Covid-19,” Mr Odongo told Monitor yesterday.

According to the timetables, the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) will be conducted from October 14 to November 18, Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) from November 7 to November 8  while Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) from November 18 to December 9 respectively.

The head teacher of Kololo Secondary School, Mr Edward Kanonya, said: “Teachers will have to create one extra hour in the morning and another in the evening to cater for the lost time. We can also opt to teach during holidays because students must not lose out. They are innocent.” 

The head teacher of Nakasero Primary School, Mr Rogers Nambuli, said they are slated to sit with their teachers and come up with strategies to cover for the lost time.

Meanwhile, the Uganda National Teachers Union (Unatu) secretary general, Mr Filbert Baguma, called for support to teachers to deliver their mandate.

“If schools have extra finances, they should motivate their teachers who are currently stressed and psychologically tortured through giving them some incentives. Teachers’ preparedness will determine their willingness to cover the lost time,” Mr Baguma said.  

Arts teachers under their umbrella  body Unatu went on strike last month after the government increased the salary of their science colleagues, in some cases three-fold higher.

However, Unatu suspended the strike on Monday after President Museveni engaged them for the second time during a meeting at Kololo Independence Grounds, Kampala.

The President directed teachers to resume work, saying for now, scientists would be a priority for salary enhancement.

Calling off the strike caused a mixed reaction among the public, with some saying the purpose of the strike was not achieved yet the learners have missed studies for three weeks.