Kiryandongo, Uganda: Students of Kibanda Senior Secondary School, a government-owned school in Kiryandongo District Tuesday staged a strike over the prolonged absence of Art subject teachers who laid down their tools over salary disparity at the beginning of the current school term.
The protest began in the early hours of the morning, with hundreds of students abandoning lessons and marching to the office of the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) to demand urgent government intervention.
The students, especially candidates in Senior Four and Senior Six, expressed concern that the lack of Art teachers was jeopardizing their preparation for the upcoming UNEB examinations, which include both theoretical and practical art components.
“We have been left to study on our own. How are we expected to pass our art practicals when there is no one to guide us?” one of the student leaders said during the demonstration.
Sources within the school revealed that the art teachers laid down their tools after their repeated calls for salary enhancement were ignored by government authorities. They are reportedly demanding equitable pay with their science-teaching counterparts.
“The issue is not new. These teachers have raised the same concern for months, but no action has been taken. This was bound to explode,” a source familiar with the matter said.
By press time, school administrators had not issued a formal statement, and the headteacher declined to respond to multiple calls from this reporter. Security had also not yet intervened to disperse or engage with the protesting students.
The standoff highlights a growing rift between art and science teachers in government schools over pay disparities, with the former demanding salary reviews similar to those granted to science staff.
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