KAMPALA – Jinja South Division East Member of Parliament and Chief Opposition Whip, Hon. Paul Mwiru, called for a comprehensive audit of government primary schools to establish the actual staffing gaps and address the growing shortage of teachers across the country.
Mwiru made the appeal while contributing to a parliamentary debate on the shortage of primary school teachers, where he questioned the adequacy of the government’s response to concerns raised by legislators regarding staffing levels in public schools.
He appreciated the Prime Minister for attempting to respond to the concerns raised by Members of Parliament but maintained that the answers provided did not sufficiently address the magnitude of the problem facing government primary schools.
Referring to concerns raised by Tochi County MP Hon. Peter Okot, Mwiru observed that the shortage had become increasingly worrying, with some government schools operating with as few as three teachers who were expected to handle the responsibility of educating pupils.
Drawing from his experience as a member of the National Anti-Corruption Manifesto Committee, Mwiru explained that the established staffing structures provided for different teacher requirements depending on the grade of a school.
He noted that Grade One schools were expected to have between 12 and 16 teachers, while Grade Four schools required between eight and 12 teachers. However, he argued that the current staffing situation had fallen below these expectations, leaving several schools struggling to deliver quality education.
Mwiru warned that the shortage was undermining the effective delivery of education, as a small number of teachers were forced to handle responsibilities that required a much larger workforce.
He proposed a comprehensive audit of government primary schools to establish the actual number of teachers available in each institution and identify the extent of the staffing gaps. He argued that such an exercise would help government understand the problem and develop appropriate interventions.
The Chief Opposition Whip further cautioned that government risked allocating resources to schools without adequately considering their actual staffing needs, urging the relevant authorities to align funding and recruitment plans with the established school staffing structures.
