Don’t intimidate teachers, address their grievances
Students attend class at Kabarole Primary School last year. PHOTO/FILE
What you need to know:
The issue: Teachers’ strike.
Our view: Force might enable you achieve a few things here and there, but to expect that it will make those who feel that their pay is not commensurate with the shift they put in, or that it will make them blind to the reality that their pay cannot enable them beat the high cost of living, is unrealistic and escapist.
On Wednesday, government through the Ministry of Public Service issued an ultimatum to striking arts teachers in government-aided schools to either return to class and teach or lose their jobs.
The ultimatum resonates with the famous quote by Abraham Maslow that, “if the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.” Arm-twisting others has over the years become government’s favourite tool for getting things fixed.
Yes. Force might enable you achieve a few things here and there, but to expect that it will make those who feel that their pay is not commensurate with the shift they put in, or that it will make them blind to the reality that their pay cannot enable them beat the high cost of living is unrealistic and escapist.
Even if government were to consider the teachers to have quit their jobs, it would still need money and time to recruit new ones, but recruiting new ones without addressing the current causes of discontent is a non-starter.
Even those that it recruits will soon feel unappreciated and under motivated. That means that another strike will be upon us sooner than later.
Do those who are forcing those teachers to return to class have any assurances that those whose hands have been forced will provide quality education to our learners?
It would appear obvious that a demotivated and uninspired teacher who has been forced to return to class cannot teach effectively.
The standoff between government and teachers could not have come at a worse time. Academic performance in government schools has been at its lowest, an absurdity that started with the introduction of universal primary and secondary education.
This has largely been because of issues around funding and poor supervision. Government has never been able to address those issues.
Capitation grants to schools is as low as Shs5,500 per pupil per term of 90 days. That comes down to Shs61 per day per a pupil. Besides, that money never gets to the schools in time. That means that schools are heavily pegged back in terms of operations.
The schools are also plagued by chronic lack of learning aids and instructional materials, especially text books.
Adding a disgruntled teacher to the equation means that the situation can only get worse.
That is why we should rethink the ultimatum and move to address the causes of unrest. Gunboat diplomacy is way past its time.
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