By Arans Tabaruka
Africa-Press – Uganda. As a child of an arts teacher and an arts student and professional. It must be within our knowledge and bias that Ugandan teachers, especially those in the arts and humanities, have for years complained of salary disparities compared to their counterparts in sciences.
The government policy since around 2017 has favoured enhanced pay for science teachers (biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics), leaving art teachers with much lower scales.
This has created a two-tier system within the same profession, despite equal workload, qualification levels, and teaching responsibilities.
I may agree with you on the contribution of science & technology in the country’s foundation to develop, but without a critical analysis of development systems, you would think entirely that sciences are its backbone.
Repeated promises by the government to “harmonise salaries” have been slow, inconsistent, or deferred, deepening frustration.
As a lawyer and human rights, advocate constitutional and legal grounds albeit, Article 40(1)(a) of the 1995 Constitution: guarantees every worker the right to “fair, reasonable, and satisfactory” wages.
Article 21: ensures equality and freedom from discrimination; unequal pay for similar work raises questions of discrimination against arts teachers.
Labour laws and the Employment Act further provide for protection from unfair treatment in employment.
Teachers also enjoy the right to assemble and demonstrate peacefully under Article 29, as long as it is lawful and within the Public Order Management framework. Do the question of when and how is justified.
Arts subjects are central to holistic education (history, literature, geography, languages, CRE/IRE, etc.), yet are undervalued.
Disparities have bred low morale, absenteeism, and even exits from the profession.
By protesting, art teachers are highlighting the Unsustainability of unequal pay in a sector.
For the government to prioritise sciences to spur industrial and technological growth,.it needs to understand that sciences can not thrive in isolation; arts provide critical thinking, communication, governance, and social cohesion skills.
The protest reflects not just salary grievances but also a struggle for recognition and dignity.
Honestly, art teachers are rightfully justified historically, constitutionally, and morally to protest salary inequities.
Their demands are not new; they are a continuation of long-standing grievances rooted in pay disparity, broken promises, and constitutional guarantees of equality and fair wages.
The Author is a Lawyer, Reseacher, and Veteran Journalist.
For More News And Analysis About Uganda Follow Africa-Press
