West Nile teachers abandon training over per diem

By RICHARD DRASIMAKU AND GEOFFREY ANGUPALE

The secondary science and mathematics teachers training (SESEMAT) programme at Mvara secondary school in Arua district slipped into crisis on Wednesday after the teachers abandoned the training over lack of per diem allowances.

The training that attracted 458 participants from Arua, Nebbi, Zombo and Maracha districts, began on Monday and was scheduled to end on Friday.

Held under the theme "content reinforcement for classroom practices," the training was meant to be a refresher course for the teachers on scheming, lesson planning, presentation and assessment of learners.

However after two days, the participants refused to attend any more sessions protesting against poor feeding and accommodation.

They demanded assurance from the organizers that each person would be paid sh100,000 allowance after the training.
This means the organisers would spend a total of sh45.8m in the participants' allowances.

However, the chairperson of the SESEMAT regional management committee Mike Arigabule who is also the head teacher of Uleppi secondary school said they had no money to pay to the teachers.

He informed the furious teachers that he was sticking to contents of a circular from the permanent secretary of the ministry of education that stated that the schools were responsible for transporting their teachers to the training.

The teachers however accused the regional management committee of corruption saying what they were asking for was training allowance not transport refund.

They argued that every student pays sh3,000 annually to facilitate the SESEMAT trainings and despite the fact that no training was organized last year the committee has failed to show accountability for those funds.

The ministry of education recently threatened to cancel the examination centre numbers of schools that were not remitting the SESEMAT funds to the regional team.

Rogers Makafu, the national trainer promised to report the saga to the permanent secretary.
 
He said although the teachers concerns were genuine, there might not be immediate consideration for such allowances because it would require the ministry to plan for it.