By Musisi Lwanga
Caretaker head teachers, deputy head teachers, and the entire staff of Phase 2 UGIFT operational seed schools across Uganda have expressed profound dissatisfaction and disillusionment following the recent external recruitment adverts released by the Education Service Commission (ESC) for both administrators and teachers. The staff have raised concerns about the fairness and inclusivity of the recruitment process, which they believe unjustly disqualifies them despite years of service and dedication.
The recruitment advertisements, released in November and December 2024, outlined requirements that many of the current staff find impossible to meet. Key among these are the demands for appointment letters, posting instructions, and pay slips from the previous six months, which the caretakers claim are only accessible once they are formally on the government payroll. The staff, having served for over seven years as volunteers in these schools, hoped that their long-term commitment would make them the prime candidates for recruitment once government support was formalized.
“The expectation was clear: when the time came for recruitment, those of us already serving in these schools would be given first priority, as long as we met the necessary qualifications,” said Kiyimba Ali the Publicity Secretary for the caretaker head teachers, referencing previous assurances from the President that volunteers would be prioritized. However, the new requirements for the recruitment process have thrown a wrench in those hopes, leading to feelings of betrayal and exclusion.
The issue is compounded by what the staff perceive as an unjust contradiction in policy. In the first phase of UGIFT recruitment, the government explicitly excluded those already on the payroll from being recruited into the seed schools. But now, in Phase 2, the ESC is reportedly considering the recruitment of government-employed administrators, leaving many to question why the approach has changed.
The caretakers further highlight a report from the Ministry of Education and Sports (MOES) in June 2024, which verified that out of 91 seed schools, 76 were fully operational with qualified staff. The staff questions why ESC would ignore these findings and advertise the positions externally, insinuating that these schools and their administrators lack competence.
“These schools have been operational for years, serving their communities with limited resources, and many of us have stayed committed to serving in areas where it is difficult to recruit qualified staff. Why is this recognition being withheld now?” Kiyimba expressed.
The frustration deepens with the looming deadlines for submitting continuous assessment scores to UNEB, a requirement for the new curriculum. The caretakers worry that with the ongoing recruitment uncertainty, the continuity of education in these schools could be jeopardized.
In light of this, the caretakers have made an urgent call for intervention from various stakeholders, including the ESC, the Ministry of Education, the Parliament, the State Minister of Higher Education, and even the First Lady and President, hoping that their voices will be heard and their long-standing contributions acknowledged.
“We are patriots who helped build these schools from the ground up, and we only ask for fair treatment,” said Kiyimba . “We request that interviews be conducted at the school level, in the 76 operational seed schools, to avoid external competition and ensure fairness for all.”
The caretakers remain hopeful that their appeal will not go unheard and that justice will be served for those who have dedicated years of service to the development of Uganda’s educational system.
