By Weswa Ronnie
SIRONKO
The Sironko District Local Government is facing challenges in replacing retired teachers following the closure of Primary Teachers’ Colleges (PTCs) by the government.
The colleges were shut down as part of a policy shift towards hiring teachers with degree-level education.
According to Fred Wesonga, the Sironko District Education Officer while speaking to our reporter on Friday, 21st March, 2025, 81 teachers retired last year, while 50 others retired early due to various reasons such as illness, pursuit of politics, or other interests.
Wesonga revealed that the district attempted to advertise over 200 vacancies to replace the retired teachers and add more staff to schools with few teachers, including Nabondi Primary School, Budadiri Girls, and Bumasifwa Primary School. However, they failed to meet the expected number of applicants after getting less than 100 who were recruited.
The main challenge, Wesonga explained, is the low number of Grade 3 teachers available since the PTCs were phased out.
Nelson Kiranda, the Sironko District Chief Administrative Officer, acknowledged the problem and stated that the district is seeking permission from the Ministry of Public Service to advertise teacher positions this year.
He says that the district needs over 500 teachers to meet the gap but due to small wage allocation, they have been forced to advertise for only that small number. He however, expressed hope that they will meet their target number of applicants in the next advert.
Wilson Nasina, the Head Teacher of Nabondi Primary School, urged the district to expedite the recruitment process and consider his school, which is struggling with a severe teacher shortage.
