Districts are fooling us

Dec 10, 2000

I ATTENDED the last ESP review and some members were recommending recruitment of S4 and S6 leavers to teach in primary schools because there are not enough primary school teachers in the field.

EDITOR: I ATTENDED the last ESP review and some members were recommending recruitment of S4 and S6 leavers to teach in primary schools because there are not enough primary school teachers in the field. I do not believe that we have reached that level especially with the number of Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs) we have in the country. In the past, when teachers qualified they would find schools waiting for them. But today a teacher suffers because of the wage bill and ban on recruitment. I have heard the Minister of Education and sports wondering why the districts have not employed the teachers? Honourable Minister, the answer is this. The Districts have been given too much money for the the exercise. So in order to finish this money they have to create all sorts of reasons and delaying tactics to draw allowances for themselves. Primary school teachers are usually interviewed at the point of entry into the college so that when they qualify, they just get posted to schools. Grade 5 and graduate teachers are also interviewed towards the end of their course. This used to be done by the Teacher Service Commission (TSC) on which Namirembe Bitamazire, the Minister for Primary Education served for many years. One wonders why the primary school teachers have to be subjected to another interview by the District Service Commissions (DSC)? is it because the DSCs are more superior, qualified, knowledgeable than the previous TSC? In any case why and how can a person who has passed their teaching practice and theory examinations fail that oral interview? As a qualified teacher for over 25 years, I can assure you there is no bigger interview than facing over 69 children with a tutor at the back of the class watching you teach. Remember this teaching practice is done three times during the course. I would like to suggest that the DSCs start interviewing the new teachers who may not been interviewed by the former TSC or the present Education Service Commission (ESC). Let the qualified teachers in the districts who are not yet employed get in touch with the PTCs who will verify their papers with the headquarters. The list will then be given to the DEOs who will post the teachers. Otherwise this song of recruiting teachers will never end. The teacher will remain unemployed while the children are dropping out of school to the detriment of UPE. E. Rugambamazima, Kampala.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});