Teachers cautioned against defilement, absenteeism

Mukono teachers have been cautioned against acts including defilement, alcoholism, late coming, absenteeism and caning pupils, with a warning that culprits face expulsion in addition to prosecution.

They have also been cautioned against seeking transfers based on personal relationships with political leaders, but offer genuine reasons to warrant such transfers.

The warnings were on Wednesday by various Mukono political leaders including the LCV Chairman, the council speaker and the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) during the beginning-of-term meeting for primary head teachers and district leaders at Mukono East Primary School.

The RDC Maj. David Matovu asked them to reciprocate to the teachers' salary increment reflected in the national budget by working hard to put up an excellent performance by pupils.

"You have hope of seeing an improvement in your welfare because in addition to supporting your SACCO and a promising working atmosphere, the First Lady has been appointed Minister of Education and this means that your issues will receive first priority consideration", the RDC said.

Without mentioning names, Matovu pointed out that there are teachers who are known to attend school only a few weeks in a term, and threatened to have such teachers discontinued.

In his speech, the district council speaker Emmanuel Mbonye said that defilers and drunkards will not be tolerated, and blamed those who were posted to certain schools on account of their relationship with political leaders for laziness.

"We know teachers who were posted to their schools because of their relationship with outgoing district leaders and it is such teachers that are fuelling poor performance because of the wrong immunity created", Mbonye said.

The district chairman Andrew Senyonga announced that poor performing head teachers will unconditionally lose their jobs to good performers, and warned those that spend time travelling to the district headquarters instead of overseeing their schools.

He also asked them to respect the decision of parent-teachers associations especially on issues like payment of money for pupils' meals. "Don't bother coming to me to report that you were asked to release money for pupils' meals because if you are taken to police, I will only endorse your detention", he said.

Senyonga cautioned the teachers against expecting rewards like backing them even where they perform poorly, adding, "the issue today is good performance and not who supported who in elections".

He announced that the bad relationship between civil servants and leaders generated by the leadership he took over has ended forthwith, and advised teachers to relate with leaders in an atmosphere of openness.