President Museveni on Tuesday said the government is short of resources and funds to provide higher salaries for non-science teachers.
Despite the government’s desire to increase the salaries of non-science teachers, President Museveni said Tuesday that resources and funds are not available to make this happen.
Museveni made the remarks on Tuesday as the country commemorated World Teachers’ Day at Kololo Independence Grounds.
For years, teachers like their colleagues, the doctors have been crying out to the government to revise their salaries saying that they have a huge gap they fill in ensuring the country’s development.
Earlier on while delivering the State of the Nation Address, President Museveni proposed that scientists should be among the most paid groups in the country.
The president who was justifying the role they have played since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic said in a bid to retain and empower even young scientists, the government should pay each top scientist at least UGX 15 million while others have their salaries starting from UGX 4 million.
“Many years ago, I proposed that government scientists, must start with Shs.4million when they join the Public Service. The top scientists in the Research Institutions should be earning Shs.15million, like Professors in Public Universities,” Museveni said.
“This is because we want to retain the large number of scientists we have trained so that they solve our needs ─ health, nutrition, infrastructure, but also benefit from the pathogenic economy. Other people in the World, have been making money from our sicknesses.”
This proposal, however, has since not been well received by their counterparts those teaching non-science subjects. On notable occasions, many have been overheard also calling on the government to consider revising their salaries.
While speaking about the same, however, President Museveni said the country has been exposed to the pandemic but this has also shown the value of sciences.
Museveni explained this is one of the main reasons why the government decided to have the salaries of these teachers revised because the country is in much need of their services more so as the pandemic continues to ravage the country.
“Then we said, why don’t we begin with some? The sciences teachers. Our plans have been well thought out. Stop resisting them because now we need medicines, items of transport, building materials. You can put together the ingredients of land, labour, and capital to make the scientists produce what we need. Storytelling, music, and religion can come later, but first, we must emphasize science,” Museveni said
In addition, he issued a warning to non-science teachers planning to hold strikes over their same arguing that no form of action will threaten them into taking actions they have not fully held proper research on.
“I am the president of Uganda, if you want to check my powers, you try. We don’t need to be threatened… why do you threaten me? The lockdown period was for survival and I am proud that we shielded our people from dying,” Museveni added.
