OTUKE – October 15, 2024 – In a concerted effort to rescue the academic term, the Otuke District stakeholders successfully launched a two-week "Education Baraza" on Tuesday, with a central plea for headteachers to convince striking teachers to return to their classrooms.
The inaugural meeting, held at Okwang Primary School in Okwang Town Council, brought together a cross-section of the community, including headteachers, School Management Committee (SMC) members, Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) leaders, political figures, and parents.
The Baraza, as explained by Mr. Patrick Ochero, the program coordinator speaking on behalf of the District Education Officer, aims to improve academic performance, create awareness on educational issues, and gather feedback from the public.
The Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Mr. Lomongin Joseph, issued a stern directive to School Management Committees. He urged them to report any headteacher who remains silent about teachers who are not teaching.
"Policy states that a teacher who hasn't taught for 15 days shouldn't be paid," Lomongin cautioned. He also advised parents to utilize government programs like the Parish Development Model (PDM) to generate income for school fees and scholastic materials.
Addressing the root causes of teacher absenteeism, the CAO warned educators against acquiring multiple loans, which he said leads to fear of arrest and abandonment of duties. He instead promoted membership in Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations (SACCOs) as a safer financial alternative.
Mr. Kamara George Oyang, Secretary for Health and Education, representing the LCV Chairperson, emphasized the severe consequences of the ongoing industrial action.
"This industrial action is just going to ruin pupils' future," Oyang stated. He urged headteachers to actively persuade their staff to return to class, highlighting the negative impacts of idle learners, including increased teenage pregnancies among girls and rising crime rates among boys.
The Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Mr. Erick Masiga, appealed to all stakeholders to fulfill their roles, asserting that the government has upheld its end by constructing and renovating schools.
Masiga also cautioned teachers against sending pupils home for unpaid fees, a practice he said the government does not support. Concluding his remarks, he advised salary earners to supplement their income through government initiatives like PDM, UWEP, and Emyoga, noting that "no one ever gets satisfied with his or her salary."
While the headteachers of Okwang and Barlegi Primary Schools confessed that teaching had halted due to the strike, their counterparts from Amele and Amunga Primary Schools reported that classes had resumed after they successfully convinced their teachers to return.
Meanwhile, parents and other stakeholders at the meeting made a counter-appeal to the government, calling for an increase in teachers' salaries to resolve the impasse. They expressed concern over wasting school fees in a promotional term if their children receive no instruction.
The Education Baraza continues its tour across the district, with subsequent meetings scheduled in Barjoibi, Okwongo, Orum, and other sub-counties over the next two weeks.
