Over 1,200 head teachers from both government-aided and private secondary schools across Uganda have called on the government to address the matter of salary increments.

They specifically urge that arts and sciences head teachers running government-aided schools receive equal pay without segregation based on their subject specialisation.

This appeal was announced on Thursday, September 3, 2026, at St Katherine Girls’ Secondary School in Boroboro, Lira City, where the annual general meeting for head teachers and their deputies is set to conclude on Friday.

The two-day conference is being held under the theme: “Harnessing Innovation, Technological Advancement, and Transformative School Leadership for Equitable, Inclusive, and Sustainable Quality Education in Uganda.”

Addressing the participants, the President of the Association, who also serves as the head teacher of Masaka Senior Secondary School, Hajjati Nabukeera Zulaika, stated that the purpose of the conference is to question why science head teachers continue to earn significantly more than arts head teachers, despite both performing similar administrative roles at their respective schools.

She acknowledged that the government has pledged to address the salary disparities and expressed the association’s appreciation for that commitment.

President Nabukeera added that they are fully aware that Minister Balaam Barugahara is currently conducting a countrywide campaign to address corruption, particularly among civil servants in local government.

Nabukeera lamented that some school head teachers have failed to disclose the correct student enrolment numbers and are consequently receiving more funding than they are entitled to.

She appealed to the Minister of Local Government, Balaam Barugahara, to handle such cases with measured respect, acknowledging that head teachers are also public civil servants who lead institutions.

According to the chairperson of ASSHU for the Lango sub-region, who is also the head teacher of Lira SS, Isaac Ocoo, the current waves of intimidation, harassment, humiliation, and fear inflicted on heads of learning institutions will ultimately compromise the quality of service and the final educational product.

He emphasised that it is their cry that legal and dignified procedures for handling cases be followed, as stipulated in the relevant laws of the country.

Ocoo further noted that they humbly request that the Education (Pre-Primary, Primary, and Post-Primary) Acts of 2008 be respected by both head teachers and all supervisory authorities.

If the Acts are outdated, he added, they should be abolished and new ones enacted.

Ocoo cited a case in point where a head teacher for science earns approximately shs6.5 million while their deputy receives shs3.5 million.

In comparison, a head teacher for arts receives shs3.5 million while their deputy gets shs2.5 million. This disparity applies to head teachers in the U1 scale. He therefore requested the government to ensure that both U1 and U2 head teachers receive the same salaries without segregation.

He stated that the Lango sub-region alone has over 150 schools and that their theme aims to achieve the vision of Uganda 2040.

Finally, Chairperson Ocoo added that regarding the salary disparities for head teachers and their deputies, as well as other issues raised above, interactions with the affected groups of administrators reveal that they have preferred to silently withdraw their efforts and innovation towards school improvement and sustainability.

This is evidenced by spending less energy on supervising school activities and introducing new interventions to improve their schools.

While opening the conference, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Sports, Dr Kedrace Turyagyenda, thanked the government of Uganda under the leadership of General Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for building a strong education system in the country.

She stated that the government will consider the arts teachers’ requests similarly to how it has handled the science teachers’ concerns, and called upon them to be patient, as the government is working day and night to ensure that all teachers start earning as previously agreed.

Dr Turyagyenda added that a 25% salary increment has already been injected and is ready for this financial year. She affirmed that the government is committed to ensuring that all public servants receive salary scale increments.

However, due to budgetary constraints, it was agreed that all payments would be made in phases. On the matter of corruption, she noted that Uganda has a serious corruption challenge, and according to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, there will be “no sleep” during this term.

She appealed to all public servants to do the right thing at the right time to avoid being accused by Honourable Minister Balam.

Addressing the participants, the Bishop of Lango Diocese, The Rt Prof Alfred Olwa, stated that Uganda’s future is not decided in the cabinet, but in the classrooms.

He expressed his belief that when he sees a child, it signifies that they are preparing that child for the future generation. For that reason, he acknowledged that teachers are doing a great and wonderful job to build this nation.

Bishop Prof Olwa continued that the country is preparing the young generation for the world they come from, but because Ugandan children will not only compete with others within the country but with different people across the world, they must be children who love their country.

He finally urged head teachers and their deputies to concentrate on their teaching profession by setting a good example for the people they lead.