Do more to incentivize the teaching profession
A man holding a mobile phone. Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Museveni, has emphasized the importance of strengthening cyber security for gadgets for teaching and learning. Photo | File
What you need to know:
- The list of reasons why many teachers opt to leave this honourable profession is long but there’s no denying that pay and conditions of work top it. Of course there are other reasons because even the science teachers whose salaries were improved can be spotted among those seeking early retirement.
Yesterday we reported that the ministry of finance has said government is planning to start giving out free tablets and smartphones to all teachers in the country to facilitate internet access and digitize education. Ms Evelyn Anite the minister for Finance-in-charge of Investment said ministry of education recently issued a bid for the supply of smartphones and tablets to teachers. (Daily Monitor ,December 5).
While this development is progressive and a good way to embrace this era of digital innovations and disruptions, we can’t help but wonder where this should lie on the list of priorities when it comes to the education sector. The challenges that plague this sector seem to be endless.
In fact another story published on the same day decrying how schools are overwhelmed by the increasing number of teachers applying for early retirement goes to show how we should order our priorities in this sector carefully and strategically.
According to the latest State of Human Resource report, a total of 819 civil servants sought early retirement in financial year 2022/2023 up from 442 in 2020/2021, and teachers constitute the biggest number of those who chose to quit.
Some of the reasons for early retirement that are highlighted in the story include salary discrepancies which have demoralized majority of the teachers. Some claim the new teacher policy that requires them to have a bachelor’s degree by 2030 without increasing their salaries is annoying, others are going by their experience during the Covid-19 lockdown when they were engaged in businesses and found it more rewarding than teaching. Others are applying for early retirement so that they can get pension and start their own businesses. There were also some allegations that some science teachers now hire mercenaries to teach on their behalf as they engage in different businesses.
The list of reasons why many teachers opt to leave this honourable profession is long but there’s no denying that pay and conditions of work top it. Of course there are other reasons because even the science teachers whose salaries were improved can be spotted among those seeking early retirement.
Mr Elly Mucunguzi, the Rubanda District principal assistant secretary, proposes that incentives such as hard-to-reach allowances, provision of meals at schools and reintroduction of the school facilities grant to improve the school infrastructure and retain teachers be considered to stop the exits. These and more incentives will motivate teachers to stay and teach. Free smartphones and tablets sound exciting and are good for the digitizing of education but it will take a lot more than shiny gadgets to retain teachers and get the best out of them.
