Kikuube, Uganda | URN | Kikuube district faces shortage of 365 primary school teachers. Kikuube District is struggling with a shortage of 365 primary school teachers, leaving its 74 government-aided schools with fewer educators than required to handle the growing number of learners.
Statistics from the district education department show that the schools have 729 teachers against an establishment of 1,094, leaving a staffing gap of 365 teachers.
Kefa Mbabazi, the Acting Inspector of Schools for Kikuube District, says the shortage is particularly severe in some schools, where the available teachers are struggling to manage large numbers of learners.
He attributes the staffing gap to teacher retirements and deaths, without corresponding replacements.
Mbabazi says the shortage is affecting the quality of education and contributing to poor learner performance. He has asked the government to increase the district’s education wage bill to enable the District Service Commission to recruit more teachers.
He has also called for a staffing ceiling that takes into account pupil enrolment in the district, arguing that the current staffing provision does not adequately reflect the number of learners in schools.
Paddy Kisembo, the Kikuube District Chairperson, also attributes the shortage to inadequate provision for the wage bill, saying the district cannot recruit enough teachers without additional funding.
Vincent Alpha Opio, the district Vice Chairperson, says the challenge goes beyond understaffing, noting that some learners also travel long distances to reach school. He agrees that the shortage of teachers is affecting academic performance and has appealed to the government to recruit and deploy more educators.
Grace Mary Mugasa, the State Minister for Bunyoro Affairs, has assured district leaders that the government is committed to increasing the staffing level to at least 68 per cent to improve education service delivery.
However, residents and parents say the shortage has continued to affect learning in their communities.
Doreen Kusiima, a resident of Buhimba Sub-county, says the shortage has severely affected education service delivery in the district.
Patrick Okawirwoth, a resident of Kabwoya Sub-county, says the few teachers available are overworked as they struggle to cover classes that lack sufficient staff.
Christine Achayo, a parent in Nsonga Village, Buhuka Parish, Kyangwali Sub-county, questions why the government has failed to deploy more teachers to the district over the years. She says the shortage is contributing to the declining academic standards.
