James William Mugeni. File photo.
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“When you look at tweets made by the so-called Elong Vincent who is leading a breakaway faction, the so-called scientists leave you disturbed.”
By James William Mugeni
Editor, recently Elong Vincent using his Twitter handles @elong_vincent posted: “The negative blackmails & lies of UNATU & their surrogate oppositn MPs on the pay rise of sci trs undermines the govt policy to promote sci, tech, research & innovation as a premier 4 national devt. Govt must ignore them in totality.”
He later in the same tweet mentioned @owere_usher @KagutaMuseveni @jessica_alupo.
I would like to start by saying this: “Shame upon the government and ministry of education for dividing teachers.” The attempts to undermine science teachers as non-scientists by the enemy of government to sabotage the pay rise undermine the authority of H.E the President and the government. Science teachers are the mothers of all scientists.
We thank the President and the Cabinet for prioritizing salary enhancement for all scientists and science teachers in the financial year 2022/23 to as tune of shs4m and shs3m for graduate and diploma scientists respectively, as reflected in the National Budget of the current financial year.
Editor, schools remain the only place where we foster unity in a divided nation where we have been divided through tribes, religions, and politics.
I will look back into my school life specifically secondary school in St. Peter’s college Tororo: 1985-1988.
From S1-S4 described as “Ordinary level,” we did 8 to 12 subjects. These subjects were classified into core subjects where English, and Mathematics were a must then one had a choice among the many subjects, coming up with the best 6 and maximum of 8 subjects.
What nonsense we are hearing from Mr. Elong]? Either a science student or an art student came after one passes the Ordinary level.
Teaching both science and arts give a perspective of helping you discover who you would be at the Advanced level.
Why are we having this confusing agent[s] in an already collapsing education system? When you look at tweets made by the so-called Elong Vincent who is leading a breakaway faction, the so-called scientists leave you disturbed. You easily see a decoy in the names of a teacher but in everything about his communication you see a distracting cadre deployed in education.
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All parents should condemn this Elong Vincent and his team; he is not a teacher but like the medical where we have cadre doctors killing the medical profession, education should be the last we should think of destroying.
You rather play with everything you can think of but not education. What we are seeing in education is a direct war against Ugandans after they have lost everything. You destroy a country but people with brains rebuild the country.
A few days ago, Mr. Filbert Baguma, a primary English teacher mentioned that science teachers are not scientists but teachers of science. He has a natural hatred for science teachers. Rejecting the truth can never justify a lie! A science teacher is the mother of all scientists, period!
The reason parents invest in children’s education is that they know you do not lose what you have stored in your brains. What is happening in education has destroyed the medical field. The Uganda Medical Association last stood up for values for both patients and the doctors in the Dr. Obuku Ekwaru-led industrial action.
The Uganda Medical Association has long been taken over by cadre doctors and has successfully torn the medical fraternity that the patient no longer unites the medics.
In Uganda, now, the economic situation requires humane leadership. A teacher castigating others and calling the presidency to ignore the colleagues equally struggling is not a teacher. You want to see someone kind and that is what science teachers are lacking.
What is going to be the basis of this science teaching? Is it still going to be Physics, Chemistry, and Biology or this science is changing? What if the government has an interest in promoting science put in the research and encourages scientists to use the money to research?
And if we are talking of scientists, is Janet Museveni the image of a science nation? How can we aim so low? Are we even aware of Uganda before Museveni could develop Neurosurgeons, and cardiologists and even led in cancer research and treatment?
What is so scientific away from science schools like St. Peters College, Namilyango, Kings College Budo, St. Mary’s College Kisubi, Nabumali, etc?
Can Elong Vicent be identified as a lead scientist, not of crooks in schools planted for public administration purposes? All Ugandans must demand the government pulls them out of the hard economic environment that they are all wallowing in at the moment and this support should be deliberate so that people find the dignity of being citizens.
This must be clear: I am writing as a concerned medic who subscribes to scientific innovations but far different from the agitation that is tearing up the teachers. There is nothing like the opposition and their surrogates, it is about being accommodative of every teacher facing similar economic hardships.
Thanking the president for giving them priority in their salary enhancement itself looks like very unethical behavior. They must get the money because they deserve it as a right, not a favor. This must take into consideration the divisive language he [Elong] uses here.
The commentator is a Medical Clinical Officer/Certified Public Manager.
