Kalangala Educators Cry Foul Over Payment Arrears
Dec 22, 2002
THEY work in one of the most difficult place in Uganda, but they are lucky if they receive any salary at the end of the month.
By Geresom Musamali
in Kalangala
THEY work in one of the most difficult place in Uganda, but they are lucky if they receive any salary at the end of the month.
Many teachers in the Ssese Islands that comprise Kalangala District travel 20 to 50 kilometres, in rickety boats, every month to reach the nearest bank in Kalangala town. Here they soon discover that they do not have any pay for yet another worked month.
Grace Atim, Bubeke Primary School headteacher warned that if nothing is done, next academic year may open with no staff to run the schools. Atim was addressing Kyamuswa (Kalangala) MP and Luweero Triangle minister, Tim Lwanga. The MP was on a four-day visit to his constituency.
Atim said Paul Opolot had his name deleted from the payroll in the process of being transferred to Bubeke in 2001.
She said Opolot has since been subjected to filling form after form in order to be restored on the payroll. But he still does without a salary, and is now finding it hard to sustain his wife and three children.
Atim said many islands only depend on fish and foodstuffs from the mainland, and that teachers cannot teach and fish at the same time. She said the community has been assisting Opolot to contain the situation but they are now getting tired of doing so.
She said, however, the district authorities are usually sceptical of any teacher who travels to Kampala to present their complaints in person. She appealed to Lwanga to intervene in the matter.
Innocent Nabuto and Sam Kamba, both teachers at Bufumira Primary School said the school serves 14 neighbouring islands. Some teachers on the staff have not received their salaries from June 2001 to July 2002. Lwanga directed that the matter be urgently looked into. Ends
in Kalangala
THEY work in one of the most difficult place in Uganda, but they are lucky if they receive any salary at the end of the month.
Many teachers in the Ssese Islands that comprise Kalangala District travel 20 to 50 kilometres, in rickety boats, every month to reach the nearest bank in Kalangala town. Here they soon discover that they do not have any pay for yet another worked month.
Grace Atim, Bubeke Primary School headteacher warned that if nothing is done, next academic year may open with no staff to run the schools. Atim was addressing Kyamuswa (Kalangala) MP and Luweero Triangle minister, Tim Lwanga. The MP was on a four-day visit to his constituency.
Atim said Paul Opolot had his name deleted from the payroll in the process of being transferred to Bubeke in 2001.
She said Opolot has since been subjected to filling form after form in order to be restored on the payroll. But he still does without a salary, and is now finding it hard to sustain his wife and three children.
Atim said many islands only depend on fish and foodstuffs from the mainland, and that teachers cannot teach and fish at the same time. She said the community has been assisting Opolot to contain the situation but they are now getting tired of doing so.
She said, however, the district authorities are usually sceptical of any teacher who travels to Kampala to present their complaints in person. She appealed to Lwanga to intervene in the matter.
Innocent Nabuto and Sam Kamba, both teachers at Bufumira Primary School said the school serves 14 neighbouring islands. Some teachers on the staff have not received their salaries from June 2001 to July 2002. Lwanga directed that the matter be urgently looked into. Ends