3,000 teachers transferred

Feb 07, 2005

ABOUT 3,000 secondary school teachers across the country have been reshuffled by the Ministry of Education.

By Fortunate Ahimbisibwe

ABOUT 3,000 secondary school teachers across the country have been reshuffled by the Ministry of Education.

Top ministry officials said those transferred had either been teaching at the schools for eight years or had applied to be moved.

The commissioner for secondary education, Yusuf Nsubuga, yesterday said the transfers took immediate effect.

He said most teachers had received their transfer letters and should have reported for duty at the beginning of the term, which opened last week.

“This is our usual practice. The transfers were done after an assessment in the various schools and the teachers who had less load were transferred to other schools,” he said.

Nsubuga said the transfers were also aimed at bridging the gap between urban and rural schools.
“Those teachers who are considered good should be transferred to
impart the knowledge in various parts of the country,” he said.

A source said most headteachers were not reshuffled, although about 20 from schools in the countryside were transferred.
According to the ministry guidelines, headteachers serve for five years while teachers can go up to eight years in the same school.

While schools in the countryside celebrated getting teachers from powerful schools, some top schools, whose best teachers were taken away, were grumbling.
“They have taken away our good teachers and we were given those from upcountry. I am not sure if they will measure up,” a headteacher said.

But Nsubuga said, “All our teachers are the same, they can teach in any school in this country.”

Some schools have lost as many as 10 teachers.

At Ntare School, 11 teachers were transferred while seven were brought in. At St. Mary’s College Kisubi, four teachers were moved while a similar number was brought in. At Gombe SS and Kawempe Muslim, three teachers were relocated while two were brought in.

Officials said several other schools including Mt. St. Mary’s Namagunga, Kings’ College Budo, Namilyango College, Kibuli SS, Makerere College and Ndejje SS have been affected.

Francis Lubanga, the Permanent Secretary, said the teachers were expected to move immediately.

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