By Vision Reporters

WHEREAS some schools in Kasese went about their business normally yesterday, others were stuck as teachers never turned up for work.

The teachers want the Government to increase their salaries by 100%.

At Kasese Secondary School in Kasese Municipality, students rioted after their teachers failed to give them examinations. The angry students broke windows. The Police later dispersed them.

At the main gate of the school, a poster read: â€œThe National Strike is Still on.â€

The Universal Secondary Education (USE) school has 1,400 students.

The headteacher of the school, Adolf Kisembo, said he had asked the students to gome but they refused.

Kampala
Some schools in Kampala were operating normally.

At City High School, students supervised by their teachers went on with their mid-term mock examinations.

â€œWe do not want to disrupt the education and future of these innocent children. We should find better ways of solving this crisis,â€ the headmistress, Claire Nduhura, said.

However, at Kololo High School, a teacher who preferred anonymity said although the students were not sent home the teachers remained in the staffroom doing their private business.

He said: â€œWe are not teaching because we are in solidarity with out counterparts. We are not sending the students home to avoid chaos.â€

Mbale
Over eight Government-aided schools in Mbale municipality had no pupils and teachers, while others were closed.

They included Namatala, Nabuyonga, North Road, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Fairway, Maluku, Wambwa and Nashibiso primary schools.

In some cases, a few children played in the compound as their teachers sat under trees and watched on.

Rachael Namalwa, a P.7 pupil of Namatala Primary School, appealed to the Government to solve the crisis immediately.

â€œThe President and Parliament should increase the teachersâ€™ salaries because we are missing out,â€ Namalwa said. â€œOur friends in private schools are attending classes normally yet we shall do the same UNEB exams.â€

Teachers talked to said they were waiting for the outcome of the meeting between the Government and Uganda National Teachers Union (UNATU) to decide the way forward.

Masindi district
In Masindi, teachers reesponded differently to the strike. Some of them reported to work but stayed in the staffroom, while others did not turn up at all.

At Masindi Public, Masindi Junior, Kihande Muslim and Kabalega primary schools, teachers remained in the staffroom marking end-of-term examinations. Some arrived for duty at 10:30am.

Only 14 out of the 22 teachers at Masindi Public School reported to school but did not enter class.

At Masindi Junior Primary School, the head-teacher, Jenifer Bakkwata, was the only one at the school by 10:45am The school has 360 pupils, majority of whom had reported for classes.

Jonathan Businge, the head-teacher of Masindi Public School, said the teachers who did not turn up had decided to join the strike.

Praise Kobusinge, a teacher at Kihande Moslem Primary School, said the Government was demoralising them by paying them peanuts.

However, the situation was different in most private schools. Business was going on normally.

At Asaba Primary School, all the teachers were in class. The teachers argued that they could not strike because their salary was determined by pupils and parents. However, they said they were in support of the strike because if UNATU was successful, it could increase their bargaining power.

At Masindi Secondary School, Stella Mbabazi, the examination teacher, said: â€œI have ordered my teachers not to distribute examinations today. We have gone on strike until further notice.â€

Mbarara.
The strike affected most government-aided primary schools in Mbarara Municipality. This was revealed by the Mbarara Municipality education officer, Greens Kamusiime.

He said out of the 22 schools, only three had had lessons by mid-day yesterday. They are Mbarara Municipal School in Kakoba Division, Mbarara Junior in Kamukuzi Division and St. Aloysius Primary School in Nyamitanga Division.

Teachers in 19 schools did not turn up in the morning.

Mbarara Secondary School in Mbarara Municipality was closed after students turned rowdy. This was after waiting for examinations in vain. The Police fired teargas at the students when they started smashing windows and throwing stones at them.

Over 300 students in Senior One to Senior Three were sent home until Monday.

However, the headmaster, Christopher Twesigye, said the upper classes (S.4 to S.6) continued with their exams.

In Kiruhura, Ibanda and Isingiro districts, teachers also joined their colleagues in the strike.

Kiruhura district education officer, Shilla Mwine, said a big number of teachers in primary schools refused to teach.

Isingiro district education officer, Nathan Kabikire, said teachers in some schools refused to teach.

Sports activities for primary schools were also postponed.

The Mbarara district education officer, Edward Mbabazi said: â€œTeachers are on strike. We cannot have competitions when there are no participants.â€

Kamusime also postponed music, dance and drama competitions, which were supposed to start today.

Soroti
Thousands of pupils in Soroti were left stranded in the classes when teachers failed to turn up for duty

At about 9:30am at Kichinjanji Primary School in Soroti Municipality, pupils resorted to playing as teachers looked on.

â€œIt is a shame for us to be called civil servants. We survive on loans that have also made our lives difficult,â€ said one teacher on condition of anonymity.

At Swaria Primary School, Ann Grace Apio was the only teacher at the school at 10:25am. The pupils were playing while a few candidates read their books.

â€œThis is a disaster. How can I call myself a civil servant yet I feed on beans and posho like a student?â€ Apio said.

Primary Seven candidates were bitter because they missed an examination.

â€œOur colleagues in private schools are doing their mocks while schools we are sunbathing. How then can you expect me to compete with a child in Jamela Primary School,â€ one boy asked.

Education authorities in Soroti district have suspended mocks examination until the matter is addressed.

Many teachers New Vision spoke to in Soroti said they want their salaries raised to sh1m a month.

â€œHow can we be paid peanuts yet all people in the Government went through our hands? This is unfair,â€ said Samule Orogot, a teacher at Aminit Primary School in Soroti.

Other teachers said they could not afford to educate their children.

Florence Apeduno of Pioneer Primary School said: â€œIf you find a primary teacher whose child is in Mwiri SS, Teso College Aloet or Nabumali High, then that person is not a true teacher. Our children go to poor schools. They cannot even become teachers.â€

Lira
In Lira, pupils demanded that teachers should complete the syllabus, set the end-of-term examinations and then continue with their strikes.

They told New Vision yesterday that their parents had cleared school fees and the only accountability they needed from teachers was setting examinations.

â€œThey should first finish the syllabus. Their issue of salary can come later,â€ said Ambrose Ogwal, a pupil of Lira Modern Primary School.

He said the pupils paid sh80,000 as boarding fees and sh20,500 as Parents Teachers Association contribution.

Another pupil said low salary payment should be handled by teachers and the Government without involving pupils.

Lira Modern has 1,400 pupils. The pupils were sent home when they reported for class yesterday. Only those in the boarding section remained at school.

In VH Public School, 1,500 pupils were sent home after their teachers refused to teach.

Teachers of Lira Primary School also laid down their tools. The school has about 2,300 pupils.

Elia Olet, Lira Army, Railway and Ireda are some other schools which did not teach yesterday.

Kibaale district
In Kibaale district, secondary school teachers shunned UNATUâ€™s call to strike.

A survey conducted by New Vision showed that all secondary schools in the district operated as usual.

At Naigana Secondary School yesterday, students sat for their examinations.

Patrick Chance, the deputy headmaster of the school, told New Vision that they could not lay down their tools because the term was coming to an end.

â€œThe timing of the strike was wrong. Schools have a busy schedule which cannot be interrupted,â€ said Chance.

He added that the teachers also feared for their lives.

â€œWe could not participate in the strike because these students could beat us given the volatile situation in schools these days,â€ Chance said.

Business was also normal at Kagadi Secondary School and St. Edwardâ€™s Secondary School Bukumi.

Unlike the secondary schools where teachers continued to serve diligently, primary school teachers went on strike, causing chaos.

Pupils at Kyenzige Parents Primary School in Kyenzige sub-county, Kibaale district lost their temper and broke windows when they were told to return home.

At Kasokero Primary School, the pupils threw stones all over the school and neighbouring buildings. They injured two people.

The injured were identified as Omuhereza Kyeyune and John Kusemerewa, both residents of Kasokero village in Kyenzige sub-county.

At Kahunde Primary School, the pupils blocked Isunga-Kyanaisoke road, paralysing business. The confusion ended when the Police intervened.

The Kibaale district Police commander, John Ojokuna Elatu, said the Police was on standby to respond to any eventualities.

Hoima
In Hoima district, primary and secondary schools did not conduct lessons as teachers staged a sit-down strike demanding a salary increment.

Day scholars were sent back home in the morning.

Teachers of Hoima Public Primary School and St. Maryâ€™s Primary reported but refused to teach.

Compiled by John B.B.Nzinjah, Bernard Masereka, Ayiga Ondoga, Paul Watala, Joseph Baguma,Fred Turyakira, Godfrey Ojore, Abdulkarim Ssengendo, Ismael Kasooha, Robert Atuhairwe, Patrick Okino and Bonney Odongo

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