By Steven Enatu
NGORA
The nationwide industrial action by arts teachers under the Uganda Professional Humanities Teachers’ Union (UPHTU) has taken a firmer stand, with teachers in Ngora District reiterating their commitment to remain out of class until government addresses the long-standing salary disparities.
This follows a consultative meeting held today Friday, June 27, 2025 at Venus Guest House in Ngora, convened by Emmanuel Odeke, the Deputy Coordinator of UPHTU in Teso subregion.
The gathering, in line with National Executive Council (NEC) directives, aimed to assess the status of the ongoing industrial action (IA) and reaffirm district-level resolutions.
According to Odeke, the Ngora chapter reported 100% compliance among humanities teachers, with most schools having gone three weeks without arts classes.
The absence of these educators has significantly disrupted learning activities, especially in secondary schools where arts teachers make up a large portion of the teaching staff.
At the centre of the strike is a growing frustration over salary discrimination between arts and science teachers. UPHTU argues that the continued marginalization of arts teachers in the government’s salary enhancement structure violates constitutional provisions for fair remuneration.
Teachers in Ngora echoed a collective stance from regional meetings held across the country—they will not return to class until the government enforces equal pay across disciplines.
This latest push is backed by a formal letter sent on June 26, 2025, to the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports by UPHTU’s national leadership.
The letter, signed by General Secretary Mutesasira Francis and President Akello Teopista, presents six key resolutions from national consultations.
These include a demand for a one-off salary enhancement in the current 2025/2026 financial year, the need to decouple teachers’ pay from wider civil service reform timelines, and the adoption of a new pay structure proposing UGX 6.5 million for Headteacher, UGX 4.5 million for Deputies, UGX 4 million for Graduate Teachers, and UGX 2.2 million for Diploma holders.
The union also faults the government for allegedly removing arts teachers from the current education sector budget to prioritize security spending ahead of the 2026 elections—despite elections having their own budget line.
UPHTU suggests that a supplementary budget be urgently tabled to address the salary concerns and prevent further disruption in the education system.
As of now, UPHTU has vowed to continue the industrial action while remaining open to further dialogue.
Teachers say they have been pushed to the wall and will only resume teaching if the government meets their demands for fairness, equality, and respect for their contribution to national development.
The strike, affecting nearly 20,000 educators across Uganda’s post-primary education institutions, is now one of the most sustained teacher-led protests in recent years.
It casts a shadow over the academic calendar and raises urgent questions about the government’s commitment to equitable treatment of all educators.
