Determining the right level and structure for public sector salaries is a challenge around the world, and nowhere is this more salient than among teachers. This article delves into the complexities surrounding primary teacher salaries in Uganda, examining the factors that influence them and the challenges faced by both public and private schools in attracting and retaining qualified educators.
In order to achieve universal primary and secondary education, Sub-Saharan African countries are predicted to need 17 million additional teachers (UNESCO, 2016). The quality of the incoming teachers will significantly affect the educational outcomes of children in African countries, as teacher quality is a critical determinant of students’ test scores, non-test score behaviors, and long-term outcomes.
Map of Uganda
The Current Landscape of Teacher Salaries
Pay levels for public sector workers-and especially teachers-are a constant source of controversy. In many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, protests and strikes suggest that pay is low, while comparisons to average national income per capita suggest that it is high.
A recent study presented data on teacher earnings from 15 African countries. The results suggest that in several (seven) countries, teachers’ monthly earnings are lower than other formal sector workers with comparable levels of education and experience. However, in all of those countries, teachers report working significantly fewer hours than other workers, such that hourly earnings are significantly lower for teachers in only one country.
The study documents non-pecuniary benefits (such as medical insurance or a pension) for teachers relative to other workers: of the 13 country surveys that report non-pecuniary benefits, teachers are more likely to receive at least one benefit than other workers in 11. Furthermore, teachers who report fewer hours are no more likely to report holding a second job, although teachers overall are nearly two times more likely to hold a second job than other workers.
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Teachers cite meagre salaries as key challenge
Impact of Salary Increases on Teacher Distribution
In 2022, the Ugandan government significantly increased public secondary school science teacher salaries, tripling or quadrupling them depending on the teacher’s level of training. For instance, salaries for science teachers with two-year diplomas working full time increased from 900,000 Ugandan shillings (236 United States dollars) to 3 million shillings (788 dollars).
Salaries for those with degrees, which take three to four years to complete, and who work full time increased from up to 1.2 million shillings (315 dollars) to 4 million shillings (1,050 dollars) per month. The government raised their pay as part of a broader effort to improve science teaching and learning, increase the number of students, and encourage innovation in the sciences, says Aaron Mugaiga, secretary general of the Uganda Professional Science Teachers’ Union.
The hope was that with higher salaries, public schools would retain more science teachers who would focus on teaching rather than working at multiple schools to make ends meet. Private school students, proprietors and teachers, however, say the raise has made it more difficult to hire and retain science teachers.
Instead, they flock to public schools, which pay better. Biology and chemistry teachers are particularly scarce. Private schools say they can’t afford to incentivize teachers to work for them by matching the higher salaries, so they lose them to public schools. Consequently, students like Avis Natukunda have had to transfer from private to public schools due to the lack of available teachers.
Teachers in a classroom
Challenges Faced by Private Schools
There are more than 8,000 private secondary schools in Uganda, says Patrick Kaboyo, who runs a private school and is the secretary of the Federation of Non-State Education Institutions. They face an uphill battle when recruiting and retaining science teachers, as they have nothing to offer during salary negotiations.
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Currently, part-time science teachers in private schools earn 300,000 to 500,000 shillings (79 to 131 dollars) monthly. When adjusted to a full-time salary, the highest-earning science teacher in a private school earns one-third the salary of the lowest earning in government schools.
Some private schools, including his, felt they had no choice but to increase teachers’ salaries despite not bringing in enough profit to break even and run effectively. Even with more pay, there aren’t enough science teachers to go around. If they taught in one school full time, other schools would miss out on their services.
Brenda Niwagaba, head teacher at Universal High School Kisaasi, a private school, says she lost two biology teachers to public schools last year. The Federation is advocating that all schools have equal access to teachers, says Kaboyo, FENEI’s secretary.
| Sector | Monthly Salary (UGX) | Monthly Salary (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Public School (Science Teacher with Diploma) | 3,000,000 | 788 |
| Public School (Science Teacher with Degree) | 4,000,000 | 1,050 |
| Private School (Part-Time Science Teacher) | 300,000 - 500,000 | 79 - 131 |
Efforts to Improve Teacher Quality and Retention
Some schools have increased pay for science teachers but say it eats into their profits and ultimately increases costs for students and their families. Part-time teachers have become particularly difficult to hire because many were public school teachers who needed to supplement their income before the raise.
Last year, they recruited three science teachers directly from university to train and mentor them. The new method worked. The new teachers work four days a week when previous teachers would only come in one and a half days a week.
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Adam Mugarura Tusiime, the assistant commissioner of human resource management at the Ministry of Public Service, says the government plans to increase salaries for all teachers on its payroll, not just science teachers. At the public school she now attends, Natukunda says she has access to a math teacher every day of the week.
The government needs to come up with a way to ensure both private and public schools have access to science teachers, she says.
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