Schools in Kibaale, Kagadi, and Kakumiro districts in Bunyoro Sub-region are grappling with acute staffing shortages.
District leaders and education stakeholders attribute the gaps in UNEB performance to the government’s failure to provide adequate funding for teacher recruitment.
According to education officials, the number of teachers is far below what is required to serve the growing student population, making it difficult to deliver quality education.
The Kibaale District Education Officer, Mr John Talagaboine, said some schools have survived by diverting part of the Capitation Grant to pay private teachers.
‘Some schools use the grant to pay private teachers, leaving other activities unfunded. The grant is meant for daily operations, not salaries. Few teachers cannot match the required teacher-to-learner ratio, which affects results,’ he said.
The district is supposed to have 125 secondary school teachers but has only 88 after two retired. At the primary level, the district has 445 teachers instead of the required 556, with 12 retiring this year.
The Kibaale District Chairperson, Mr Godfrey Muhonge Kasanga, said the district has 82 primary schools, with 362 teachers instead of the required 960.
‘Without enough staff, we cannot perform well academically. The workload is too heavy for the few teachers available,’ he said, adding that some learners miss lessons and eventually drop out. At Bubamba Primary School, head teacher Peter Kwemara said six teachers handle all seven classes, forcing the school to hire a private teacher.
‘The same staff also hold offices and other responsibilities, which makes balancing roles difficult. When a teacher is absent, pupils miss lessons, syllabus coverage is delayed, and results are affected,’ he said.
The 2024 UBOS report shows Kibaale has high numbers of out-of-school children. Among children aged 6 to 12, at least 11,902 out of 50,239 were not in school, while 11,009 out of 27,963 aged 13 to 17 were not attending school.
The Kakumiro District chairperson, Mr Joseph Sentahi Senkusu, said many schools have fewer than seven teachers despite high enrolment.
‘The government has restricted the recruitment of private teachers, saying it exploits parents. But without enough teachers, performance will continue to decline,’ he warned.
At Kiriika Primary School in Kakumiro, the head teacher, Mr Augustine Ssekisasi, said the school has more than 900 pupils and only eight teachers. ‘There is a need to stream classes for proper learning, but the structures cannot handle the large numbers. Work overload also affects how we assess learners,’ he said.
Kagadi wage bill
In Kagadi, the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (Unatu) chairperson, Mr Solomon Musinguzi, said the district’s wage bill is too low to support adequate staffing.
‘This has escalated early retirement applications-50 staff have already applied, which is worrying,’ he said. Kagadi District chairperson Ndibwami B Yosia admitted that the district has a deficit of 523 teachers across all government schools.
‘School heads are forced to hire private teachers, yet education is supposed to be free. Parents end up paying because schools must operate. The government should revise the teacher-to-pupil ratio and recruit to full capacity,’ he said.
The Kabukanga Primary School head teacher, Mr Enock Matee, said the school’s enrolment has dropped from 500 pupils in previous years to about 150.
‘We were forced to scrap primary seven after losing teachers who were transferred and never replaced. Of the five teachers, only two are on payroll, while three are privately paid by parents. The Capitation Grant is being used for salaries instead of school activities,’ Mr Matee said.
He added that the school also faces infrastructure challenges, with only two permanent blocks and three temporary structures in poor condition.
At a glance
* Kibaale District should have 125 secondary school teachers but has only 88.
* At the primary level, Kibaale has 445 teachers instead of the required 556.
* Kagadi District faces a deficit of 523 teachers across all government schools.
* Kabukanga Primary School has only two government teachers, with three others privately paid by parents.