The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted almost virtually all sectors of the economy in Uganda. From market vendors, taxi operators to retail outlets, business has come to a standstill and there is no end in sight. Avenues to let in an income have been closed and yet there is little or no hope for a savior.
What we are forgetting is that the first people to be affected by the pandemic where the teachers. On the 18th of March 2020, President Museveni is quoted to have said, “It is wise that we temporary remove these concentration points to prevent the spread of coronavirus. All these institutions, without exception should close so that we deny this virus high concentration.”
Schools were ordered to close by 20th March 2020. It’s now 47 days since schools were closed. Do you assume schools will open soon? The answer lies in 2 points; Our neighbor Rwanda, a country with strict observance is rumored to open schools in September, another 120 days from now. Secondly, by the time of closure, Uganda hadn’t reported a single case of Corona Virus. As of today, the count is close100.
If there is a section of Ugandans that has been adversely affected by this pandemic, it is the teachers and more so the private teachers. If there is a profession that has been neglected during this time, it’s the teaching profession. Nothing has been heard from the heads of schools, nothing from parliament, noting from the ministry and nothing from the teachers union.
Statistics show that there are close to 20,000 private schools in Uganda. Virtually all teachers in these schools are living a life of uncertainty. While it is clear that salaries will not go beyond two months for most of them, the government, the Ministry of Education and Parliament have kept a blind eye – a clear reminder that they are of no value!
Away from the public eye and their immediate family, teachers are silently wiping their tears. A lot is going on in their minds as they watch their boda boda neighbours return home with a kilo of posho for porridge. Their ties and text books cannot be exchanged for a meal.
Scrolling through the teachers’ WhatsApp groups shows you the anguish in many of them. In a video posted on social media, a teacher humbly reminds the President of the plight of teachers. Sadly, the video is yet to attract the attention it deserves.
A few questions arise; Is a teacher’s union like UNATU any more relevant? Is the Parliament’s Education and Sports committee relevant? Is it time for a teacher’s representative in Parliament?
While teachers keep waiting for someone to attend to their plight, an article shared on social media added salt to injury where it was reported that ‘Head teachers and Parents want schools opening delayed.’ The replies like one in the screen shot below show how offended teachers are.
The President’s remarks on Science teachers versus Arts teachers seemed to invoke emotions among the already struggling teachers. The poem titled “I am Proud to be Useless” a reply to the President’s statements is making rounds on social media.
You can read the full poem below. (Author not yet known)
POEM: Proud to be “useless”
I am proud that I am still relevant even when I am useless. I am proud because I carry with me the cross and shame of going to school to study “Arts.” I am proud because they think when I had my mind dedicated to reading novels and plays, and writing unbrief essays I still didn’t use my mind. I am proud that I am thought “a weak mind” because I couldn’t do the Biological or Physical sciences that are the only cause of the life we lead. I am proud that when I did Theology, Communication, Literature and Languages, I ended up a failure in life. I am proud that even when I tried my luck at them, passed but didn’t opt for them, the sciences, I regretted my childhood decision. I am proud that life without Science has led me to become a ‘by stander’ and never a driver.
I remain not very useful because I taught my language learners writing capitals and therefore they write symbols of chemical elements and excel in Chemistry, I mind not being useless even when I teach skills of comprehension that help the Physics learner to interprete the endless instructions that are the basis of doing a successful practical experiment. I am happy to be stupid because I taught the learner to interprete questions in context and they passed their no. 31 of Biology.
I am proudly irrelevant because even when the Science teacher consults issues concerning language, I tell them the nonsense I know. I pride in my parents’ wasted fees, because I became a Language teacher, therefore an ‘Arts teacher’. I don’t take fault in the head of state saying I wasted time reading A Merchant of Venice, reading Twelfth Night, reading King Lear, King John and the senseless Sonnets by the father of drama Shakespeare. I regret the knowledge I got from the readings. I am happy after all that even when I have to teach six periods a week to help the learner express their Science, I am still a ‘no brainer.’ I delight in the fact that I at times read Science to teach it in comprehension, thereby assisting to teach it, some times even better than the ‘true scientist who should earn for the good job done.’ I don’t find fault in doing this noble work being regarded as a “we can do without them.” I am happy that ultimately, because my Science counterpart works extra hard all the learners become scientists. Oh! Why did I over speak thinking I was making Advocates, Judges, Journalists-whom the fountain of honour calls rumour mongers, Social Workers. I am still proud, yes I am proud.
I am still wondering, thou still proud of my efforts, why Nakatude scored a distinction in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths and all sciences but failed with a failure English language but was denied chance to do a Medical course. Why deny this genius chance. I wondered when Mugisha who was a ‘bwat’ in Sciences was denied a division one because he failed a mere English Language, but knew all the Science! May be his teacher was not as proud to teach as myself.
I am inspired to keep inspiring learners to follow their passions, to encourage them to pursue their interests. I am moved to keep helping them better understand and express Scientific concepts whenever I can. I am hopeful that in the end, the doctors, engineers, lab technicians, pilots, surveyors, Architects and most of all Teachers, but of Science, who will come out of my classes won’t find my efforts worthless. I am humbled to believe that ultimately, my fellow Science teachers will at last rethink at which they will realise that I too, compliment their teaching. I am still strong, for I have done purely no good to deserve better pay. I must regret because I failed at it, at Science, which has made my effort to make it better worthless. I am glad that I gathered all the bonds of my ‘poor’ knowledge to pen down this rant. I am not alone, we are many, we are proud to offer nothing to the success of Science. We are happy!
