UNATU Leaders Express Deep Concern Over Rising Teacher Deaths

KABALE – The Uganda National Teachers Union leaders in Kabale District and Municipality have expressed growing concerns as the annual death toll among educators continues to rise.

This revelation surfaced today during the joint celebrations for Kabale district’s Main Branch and Kabale Municipality on the occasion of National Teacher’s Day, held at Kirigime Guest House in the southern division of Kabale Municipality.

World Teachers Day, observed annually on October 5th, was marked this year under the theme: “The teachers we need for the education we want: The global imperative to reverse the teacher shortage.”

UNATU’s statistics paint a grim picture, reporting 495 teacher deaths in 2018, 549 in 2019, 680 in 2020, 490 in 2021, 432 in 2022, and a staggering 307 teachers as of September 30th this year.

Amos Musiimenta, the UNATU chairperson for Kabale Main Branch and head teacher at Kakomo Secondary School, attributes the high mortality rate to financial stress stemming from the salary disparity between science and arts teachers.

CUE IN…. MUSIIMENTA…..RR/ENG//

Geoffrey Beinomugisha, UNATU chairperson for Kabale Municipality Branch, points to the daily challenges teachers face and urges the government to implement psycho-social support programs for educators, aiming to facilitate their rehabilitation.

CUE IN……BEINOMUGISHA….RR/ENG//

The Minister of State for Trade, Industry, and Cooperatives (Industry), David Bahati, represented by Kabale District Internal Security Officer (DISO) Reuben Mutabazi, served as the chief guest during the Teacher’s Day celebrations. He appealed to teachers to foster patriotism and actively contribute to molding learners for a better future.