Teachers’ boycott enters day two

Jul 29, 2011

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By Nicholas Kajoba and Ayiga Odonga

POLICE have deployed heavily at Old Kampala Secondary School as teachers started a countrywide strike over poor pay.

Students who reported as early as 6:00am could not access their classrooms because the main gate was closed.

It took the intervention of old Kampala Police Station chief, Siraje Bakaleke who ordered the gate keeper to open.



Some of the students who had crowded at the entrance entered, but found class rooms locked.

At Kampala High School, the head-teacher, Bisaso Ntamu, said only five teachers reported for work.

“Few teachers have reported for work. But we have decided to improvise with the few around. It’s bad because students are now doing their examinations,” he said.

Government has called for calm from both teachers and parents as an amicable solution is sought.

Information and National Guidance minister, Mary Karooro Okurut, said, “Government appeals for calm, dialogue is important.”

She was optimistic that the President’s meeting with teachers scheduled to take place today will come out with an amicable solution.

Some Schools in Kampala were operating normally despite the boycott.

At City High School, students were busy doing their mid-term mock examinations in their classrooms with their teachers keeping watch over them.

“For us, at City High, we are all here you can see and we are taking this issue as parents who don’t want to disrupt the education and future of these innocent children. We, should rather find better means of solving this crisis,” the headmistress, who was overseeing the examination exercise, said.


At Kitante High School students said that they have been told to go back home.

“Our teachers told us to go back home because they are not going to teach us at all,” students said.

At Kitante Primary School, the head- teacher, Scola Ndyagambaki, said the strike has paralyzed studies.

“We have decided as management to go and help some classes especially the lower classes. Our teachers are on strike and everything is on halt. But we are putting things in control as negotiations go on,” she said.

At Shimon and East Kololo Primary School, pupils were in classes, but unattended to.

Several schools in Masaka, Luwero and other districts have equally been affected by the boycott. In some Schools New Vision visited, teachers either asked pupils to go back home or abandoned them.


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