By Spy Uganda
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has reassured science teachers of Government’s commitment to enhance their salaries and also assured Arts teachers of being covered in the near future.
Using a Runyakitara proverb, he said “a pumpkin plant that will solve the hunger problem in a family starts by flowering and putting on small young ones.”
He said, that is why the Government has started enhancing teachers’ salaries beginning with science teachers. He appealed to all teachers to be patient. “Please, be patient! do not disturb yourselves. We shall start with science teachers. We shall cover everybody in future,” he said.
The President made the remarks today at the closing ceremony of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Association of Secondary School Head Teachers of Uganda (ASSHU) at Ntare School in Mbarara City.
The AGM which started on the 23rd of August and ended yesterday focused on the theme: “Enhancing competence-based curriculum and quality education for a global market – the role of Headteachers”.
In his address to the assembly, President Museveni challenged the teachers to be at the helm of transforming society using ‘transformative leadership with vision’ which is a holistic approach to promoting education standards in the country.
“My message to the Education Sector in the Country is for teachers to transform society using a telescopic view with vision”. “This is the reason why the African continent faces problems and has lagged behind from the time of Renaissance yet Europe on the other hand has advanced in science and technology,” he said.
The President told the assembly that according to the NRM ideology, leaders have to act like the primer in a gun to cause social change and to advance science and technology.
Museveni further challenged the headteachers that if the Education Sector is to develop its standards, everyone has to have value for change using what he called a “telescopic view with vision”.
He congratulated the association for organising this year’s AGM, which he said was a well organised forum with overwhelming turn up.
The President contributed Five Hundred Million Shillings (500m/=) towards the construction of the ASSHU Resource Centre to be constructed on Bombo Road in Kampala City. He also contributed Shs200 million to the Teachers SACCO.
The First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports (MoES), Hon. Janet Museveni pointed out that “professional and quality school leadership is a very important and critical factor for success in the quest for quality education in the country.”
Mrs. Museveni urged headteachers to pursue professional and quality leadership. “If only the headteachers here pursued professional and quality leadership, we would significantly reduce or even eradicate issues of absenteeism in schools and manage these vices that have eroded our education system,” she said, adding that the presence of an effective and efficient headteacher in a school has a big impact on the efficient functioning of the school system.
The Minister applauded the vision of the Association, commenting that this year’s AGM has awakened all headteachers to their professional calling. She commended the section of headteachers who behave exceptionally well.
“I want to let you know that your commitment and devotion to duty has not gone unnoticed and the government sincerely thanks you for that,” she said.
