Private school owners in the country have rejected a government directive requiring them to pay their teachers’ salaries during the lockdown period.
This follows a May 18 letter issued by the Ministry of Education and Sports Permanent Secretary Alex Kakooza directing all private school owners to pay their teachers’ salaries and other workers in education institutions saying it’s their obligation to pay up staff salaries.
“This is to remind you that you are required to pay your employees during lockdown,” Kakooza wrote.
Now, under their National Private Education Institutions Associations (NPEIA), the proprietors have come up with their position, saying they will defy the ministry directive and here are their reasons.
- If we don’t collect fees how do we pay teachers salaries?
- Government is telling parents not to pay fees or to do online schooling, why can’t we move like the rest of the globe?
- Government has got a lot of funding why don’t they use this money to pay the teachers in both private and government schools?
- The semester finished half way so only half fees were collected.
- How can government interfere in employee vs employer relation that is contractual law?
- Alex Kakooza the Permanent Secretary Of Ministry of Education is arm twisting Private schools with his own agendas his directive is illegal.
- Some of the teachers are staying in school quarters and feeding on free food. Did Kakooza even Know that?
NPEIA Kampala Representative Hasadu Kirabira says they are shocked that while they presented their demands to the education ministry, these have not been responded to and instead the ministry has come out with untenable directives.