Acholi teachers to lay down tools
Science teachers earn a gross salary of 4 million shillings, compared to just 1 million shillings for Arts teachers.
Acholi: Teachers under the Uganda Professional Humanity Teachers Union (UPHTU) across the districts of Kitgum, Lamwo, Pader, and Agago are set to commence an industrial strike this week in protest against long-standing salary disparities between Arts and Science teachers.
According to Mr. Okot Kennedy, the Union’s Deputy Coordinator for East Acholi, the strike will officially begin on Friday, June 6, 2025, following the government’s continued failure to honor a salary enhancement agreement for Arts teachers.
“Our members are frustrated and demoralized. Despite promises, the government has failed to address the glaring inequalities in teacher remuneration,” said Mr. Kennedy.
The strike, which is expected to involve over 17,000 Arts teachers, is a response to the government’s decision in 2022 to enhance salaries exclusively for Science teachers, leaving their Arts counterparts behind.
The Union’s President, Mrs. Akello Topista, is set to formally announce the strike on Thursday, 5th June 2025. The union leadership has reiterated that the planned industrial action is legal, justified, and aimed at compelling the government to fulfill its commitment to salary equity in the education sector.
Currently, Science-based headteachers and their deputies receive gross salaries of 6 million and 4.5 million shillings respectively, while Arts-based headteachers and deputies receive no such enhancements.
In the classroom, the disparity is even more pronounced: Science teachers earn a gross salary of 4 million shillings, compared to just 1 million shillings for Arts teachers.
Mr. Bright Olworo, a retired educationist and respected voice in the sector, condemned the government’s segregative salary structure, stating that it is undermining morale and productivity among Arts teachers.
“This inequality is not just unfair it’s harmful to the integrity of the entire education system. You cannot run quality education on the back of discrimination,” Mr. Olworo emphasized.
The looming strike is likely to disrupt learning across primary and secondary schools in the affected districts, further straining an already challenged education sector.
Union leaders have urged the Ministry of Education and Public Service to urgently revisit the salary structure and engage in dialogue to avert long-term damage to the education system.
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