Union intervenes to plug ICT gaps hindering science teachers

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Gaps in information and communication technology (ICT) skills among science teachers are increasingly affecting service delivery within the education sector and professional bodies, prompting the Uganda Professional Science Teachers’ Union (UPSTU) to roll out targeted capacity building for its staff and leaders.

Speaking on Monday (December 29) at Nob View Hotel in Ntinda, UPSTU deputy general secretary Stanley Bamuteze said many science teachers were trained at a time when ICT was either absent from the curriculum or treated as an optional subject, leaving them struggling to meet modern administrative and professional demands.

“ICT is a component that many teachers were not taught, some were taught but have forgotten, yet it is very important if you are to remain efficient in the 21st century,” Bamuteze said.

He added that, “You find someone sending an important report as a snapshot instead of a proper document. That means work has to be repeated, time is lost, and efficiency suffers.”

The two-day workshop brought together UPSTU staff and regional leaders from all 15 regions of the country to train them in ICT use, accountability, customer care, leadership and financial management under the theme Increasing efficiency, customer care and networking.

Members of the Uganda Professional Science Teacher Union (USTS) attending the regional leaders and staff training workshop in Kampala on December 30, 2025. (Photo by Wilfred Sanya)

Bamuteze said the training was necessary because UPSTU recruits most of its leaders from science teaching backgrounds and later assigns them managerial roles.

“We are picking leaders from their different areas of specialisation and putting them in positions of leadership. There was a need to train them in leadership, human resource management and report writing so that everything runs in a uniform way across all branches,” he said.

He added that the union’s goal is to improve services to science teachers nationwide. “As a labour union, we established ourselves on the grounds of improving the service we render to science teachers across the country. Our expectation is increased efficiency in reporting, accountability and service delivery to our members.”

UPSTU Vice-Treasurer Joab Okello said financial accountability challenges had also forced the union to intervene through training.

“Most of our members are science teachers and are not well-grounded in accounting principles, yet we send funds to regions to run union activities,” he said.

He added that the association had to train regional secretaries and treasurers to ensure leaders are accountable for the funds they receive from the SACCO.

Okello noted that the training goes beyond reporting to financial literacy, emphasising that for teachers to benefit from the money they receive, sufficient training is required.

“When someone borrows 60 million, we want that money to create value, not be squandered. Knowledge is power,” he said.

The ICT skills gap, Okello said, also discourages teachers from embracing digital tools.

“You cannot encourage someone to buy a computer when they are not trained to use it,” Bamuteze said.

Meanwhile, Edward Luyima, the General Secretary of APSU Members Circle, said improved ICT and financial skills complement the union’s efforts to improve teachers’ welfare.

“Through the circle, science teachers can save safely, access loans at low interest and earn dividends at the end of the year,” he said, noting that the scheme has helped teachers invest in land, real estate and low-risk businesses.

Luyima said the union’s broader vision is to empower science teachers both professionally and economically.

“We want teachers to teach diligently while building a secure future. That is why capacity building remains critical,” he said.

He added that the training marked a step towards making the union the most efficient and responsive professional body serving teachers in the country.

The Uganda Professional Science Teachers’ Union (UPSTU) was officially registered in December 2020 as a labour union representing science teachers in Uganda.

It was formed to unite educators teaching subjects such as Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, ICT, Agriculture and related sciences in secondary schools and training institutions.

UPSTU advocates for better salaries, improved working conditions and teachers’ welfare, while promoting professionalism in science education.

The union also supports members through professional development, legal assistance and economic empowerment initiatives such as SACCOs, contributing to improved science education and national development.