The General Secretary of the Uganda National Teachers Union (UNATU), Filbert Baguma Bates, has made a shocking revelation of what happened last year.

Baguma reported that 535 teachers died across the country in 2025, blaming too much economic pressure and work stress for their deaths.

The General Secretary was addressing head teachers from primary and secondary schools in Masindi during a performance management training held at Biija Hotel, a training organised by UNATU.

According to Baguma, 412 of the deceased teachers were male, while 123 were female.

He added that the high number of deaths was due to the economic hardships and pressure faced by teachers, thus leading to poor health conditions.

“….from this, you can understand the burden male teachers are going through. Wives are pressuring our teachers to live outside their means,” Baguma said.

All the deceased teachers were UNATU members, and Baguma urged head teachers to sensitise their staff about the importance of living within their means.

The GS warned that financial pressure and work stress are contributing to illnesses among teachers, including hypertension and diabetes.

He also called on teachers and head teachers in Masindi to unite and join the union, rather than working in isolation.

“We should stop the issues of saying we are science teachers or teachers for humanities because when a wave comes, it sweeps us all,” he said.

School heads, he said, face enormous responsibilities and are also affected mentally by the challenges in the education sector and the country at large.

Baguma condemned acts of physical and emotional abuse within the education sector, citing incidents in which inspectors, head teachers and Resident District Commissioners allegedly slapped teachers and school administrators.

“Some of our members are dying as a result of stress. The emotional and physical fear we get affects us a lot. Many have developed hypertension and diabetes because of the pressure they have to manage schools,” he explained.

He urged education managers to handle challenges appropriately and avoid actions that could worsen stress among teachers.

“Let’s do the right thing at the right time, in the right way, and at the right place in order to manage issues which could affect your mental health,” Baguma advised.

“If the school has 200 learners, let it be. Why add 150 learners who don’t exist? Let’s not give ourselves the burden by forging these simple things because they don’t add anything to you,” he warned.

Baguma further urged school heads to improve performance and ensure proper record management.

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The Principal Education Officer for Masindi Municipality, Sam Ayebale Peter, expressed concern over what he described as the increasing humiliation of members of the teaching profession.

“Teachers are getting humiliated in front of their clients as if they are not professionals. It’s very sad,” Ayebale said.

He said while education authorities should continue fighting corruption, excessive humiliation could discourage teachers from taking up leadership positions in schools.

Ayebale also criticised what he described as the tendency by some authorities to act on rumours before verifying facts.

He noted that student enrollment can fluctuate from one period to another and called on the teachers’ union to consider the realities schools face when addressing enrollment discrepancies.

“Enrollment has never been stable; today I may register a bigger number and tomorrow a smaller number. As a union, look into this and understand it better,” he said.

Ayebale challenged teachers and head teachers in Masindi to ensure that their actions comply with the Education Act.

“As education heads at different levels, we are continuing to agitate for the good and we shall not stop,” he said. However, Ayebale warned head teachers against expelling learners from school for failing to pay school charges.

“These children shouldn’t be subjected to chasing because they’re never part of the decision taken. Don’t punish learners by way of chasing them away,” he said.

He called on UNATU leaders to organise similar engagements annually to provide teachers and school administrators with continuous guidance.

Meanwhile, the Deputy District Education Officer for Masindi, Edward Kiirya, challenged head teachers to ensure proper accountability for school resources.

During the training, head teachers were also introduced to various digital platforms providing guidelines, updated Public Service Standing Orders and other information intended to support informed decision-making.

The training also focused on improving school performance through proper work planning, monitoring, assessment, review and evaluation, as well as the implementation of appropriate sanctions and rewards.