Published on 22/12/2024
Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa has directed the Ministry of Education to investigate and provide a comprehensive explanation for the strike by teachers marking Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) exams.
The markers reportedly walked out of designated centers in protest over what they described as inadequate remuneration by the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB). During the December 19, 2024, plenary session, Tayebwa responded to concerns raised by Joseph Ssewungu (Kalungu West).
Ssewungu criticized the government for deploying military personnel to manage the striking teachers, accusing it of intimidating professionals instead of addressing their grievances.
“Teachers, who previously marked 250 papers daily under the old curriculum, are now marking only 50 scripts due to the demands of the new curriculum. Despite this increased workload, they are poorly compensated,” Ssewungu said. “The Ministry of Education has failed to address their concerns, and instead, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) were deployed to either coerce teachers back to work or force them out of the centers.”
In response, State Minister for Sports Peter Ogwang expressed regret over the allegations of military involvement and pledged to present a formal statement to Parliament on the matter.
“I regret if soldiers were indeed involved in this issue. This is an internal matter that should have been handled by the Uganda Police Force, if necessary,” Ogwang said. “I seek your indulgence to allow me to provide a detailed statement to clarify the circumstances surrounding these events.”
While welcoming Ogwang’s commitment, Ssewungu questioned UNEB’s handling of the situation, arguing that marking should have been halted until the markers’ grievances were resolved.
“Teachers marking exams don’t even go home for Christmas. If there is unrest at a marking center, the logical step is to halt the process and send everyone home until a solution is found,” he suggested.
The Deputy Speaker’s directive comes in the wake of a December 16, 2024, media report highlighting the markers’ walkout. The teachers, contracted to mark papers under the new lower secondary curriculum, demanded an increase in pay from UGX 950 per script to UGX 1,500, citing the additional workload.
UNEB Executive Director Dan Nokrach Odongo issued a statement confirming that some markers for Physics and Agriculture papers had abandoned their duties over pay disputes. He assured the public that marking was ongoing and largely unaffected, as over 6,800 examiners continued their work.
“Although approximately 100 out of 400 Physics examiners and 50 Agriculture examiners left their centers, the marking exercise for all subjects is progressing smoothly as planned,” Odongo said. “UNEB appreciates the patriotism and dedication of the majority of examiners who have chosen to continue this important national exercise.”
Odongo revealed that UNEB had engaged 7,000 examiners to mark UCE scripts this year, including those from both the new and transitional curricula. Despite efforts to negotiate with dissatisfied markers, he noted that adjustments to pay rates were limited by available resources.
This marks the first year that UNEB is assessing students under the new curriculum, which emphasizes practical skills and a reduced workload for markers. However, the unrest highlights ongoing challenges in its implementation, particularly regarding the financial and logistical demands placed on examiners.
