As many public schools continue to grapple with acute shortages-or complete lack-of staff housing, a Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) official has urged philanthropists to consider partnering with government to construct teacher residences and improve educator welfare.
Speaking on Friday last week during the commissioning of a Shs300m multipurpose hall donated to Mbuya Primary School by the Classic Leader Foundation, Mr Gerald Makamba, the KCCA education officer for Nakawa Division, thanked the organisation for the support but appealed for further assistance targeting teachers’ living conditions.
‘We are so happy that you have constructed a hall for this school, but there are three other critical challenges I request you to help with if there is still that chance,’ he said. ‘Facelifting old structures, digitalising the school, and constructing staff accommodation. Staff welfare is key to effective teaching and learning,’ he added. Mr Makamba said the construction of the hall at Mbuya Church of Uganda Primary School marks a major milestone for the broader education sector. The headteacher, Mr Jonathan Mukinusu, expressed appreciation for the donation and reinforced the plea for teacher housing, revealing that some staff have been forced to sleep in classrooms due to lack of accommodation.
‘About six teachers and two support staff sleep in classrooms. The issue of teachers’ accommodation has been long overdue. Some travel long distances to access the school,’ he said. Mbuya Primary School has 24 teachers, including four in the Nursery section. One female teacher who confirmed that she resides in a classroom with colleagues, said their low salaries leave them unable to afford rental housing. ‘We are about four teachers sharing a classroom. We demarcated it into smaller units using plywood to promote privacy because we have families,’ she explained.
‘I decided to live in a class to save fees for my children. I spend over Shs1.3m on fees every term, yet my net pay is about Shs480,000,’ she added.
While Classic Leader Foundation did not commit to constructing teacher houses, its representative, Mr Priyesh Pravinchandra Shah, said the organisation would continue building multipurpose halls in selected schools as symbols of commitment to education, community empowerment, and philanthropy. ‘What started as a simple donation of exercise books has grown into a powerful nationwide movement reaching more than 10,000 schools across the country,’ Mr Shah said.
‘Our vision expanded from giving materials to expanding minds and communities,’ he added. He disclosed that the foundation currently provides more than 480 scholarships to needy learners annually.
BACKGROUND
President Museveni has pledged to build houses for teachers, the most recent commitment coming in July during the arts teachers’ strike over delayed salary enhancement. The promise is part of government’s strategy to improve teacher welfare.