Moroto, Uganda: Education in Karamoja is facing a fresh setback as an ongoing teachers’ strike threatens to reverse recent gains in school enrolment and performance, with parents warning that the region risks sliding “back to the grave” unless government urgently intervenes.
The strike, sparked by low pay and poor working conditions, has left pupils in several districts without teachers in classrooms. Parents say this disruption is particularly devastating for vulnerable families who had only recently begun appreciating the value of education by sending their children to school.
“Now, instead of learning, the children are loitering and struggling alone without normal classes because teachers are on strike,” said Max Choudry, Executive Director of Rural Action for Development Organisation (RADO) and a human rights defender.
Choudry warned that the gains made in encouraging enrolment in Karamoja could be wiped out if the government does not respond quickly to the teachers’ concerns. “If government does not pay attention to this matter, education performance and enrolment in Karamoja is going back to the grave,” he said.
Parents also expressed frustration that while they are already burdened with low incomes, trauma, and stress to meet daily needs, their children’s right to education is being undermined by policy inaction.
They are appealing for affirmative action measures to resolve the salary dispute and restore normal learning in the region.
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