Gov’t Admits Recruitment of Teachers Marred By Corruption, Nepotism

Peter Ogwang, Minister of State for Sports

Government through the Ministry of Education and Sports has admitted that the recruitment of teachers under the World Bank funded Uganda Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfers (UglFT) Program has been ruined by corruption, bribery and nepotism practices.

The revelation was made by Peter Ogwang, Minister of State for Sports, while presenting a Statement on the recruitment of teaching and Non-Teaching Staff in Secondary Schools under the project, during Wednesday’s plenary sitting.

“It has come to the attention of Government that the recruitment process has been infiltrated by corrupt tendencies and opportunism. The Ministry and the Education service Commission has received credible information of irregular/secondment of staff to these schools with the view that their appointments shall be regularized by the Education Service Commission. This was being done on condition that prospective teachers pay hefty sums of money to be included on the list of sitting teachers,” said Ogwang.

The Minister also informed Parliament that some of the Head Teachers and Deputy Head teachers recruited under this World Bank project don’t have the requisite qualifications set out at the time of recruitment.

For one to qualify as Head Teacher for a Seed Secondary School, they must possess a Bachelor’s degree in Education or Bachelor’s degree with post graduate qualifications in Education from a recognized University/ institution; a Master’s Degree in Education or related field and they must have a minimum of 12 years working experience in a Government owned/ aided Secondary School, three (3) of which should have been at the level of Deputy Head teacher.

For one to qualify as a Deputy Head Teacher at these Seed Secondary Schools, they must have a Bachelor’s Degree in Education or Bachelor’s Degree plus a Post Graduate Diploma in Education, a minimum of 9 years teaching experience, three (3) of which should be at the level of Education Officer in a secondary school.

“The sector has noted with concern that the quality of headteachers and Deputies who have been recruited through the school based leaves a lot to be desired. These Headteachers are transferable to the already existing schools and they lack capacity to manage schools. A number of complaints were received by the Ministry of Education and Sports and the Education Service Commission from some Chief Administrative Officers and the actual sitting teachers that have been left out of the lists submitted because they don’t come from the regions even after serving in these schools for long,” remarked Ogwang.

The Ministry of Education also admitted that there are some discrepancies and contestations of lists submitted to the Education Service Commission, and this followed the several complaints received by the Education Service Commission about the conflicting lists from various stakeholders and thus nearly impossible to independently verify the authenticity of the lists.

During the presentation of the statement, Minister Ogwang revealed that the first phase of the UGIF project has 117 Seed Schools constructed and commissioned, and are currently operational with teachers, while 115 Seed Schools are under construction in the second phase and 27 in the third phase.

He added that 92 seed schools under phase 2 have been identified to start operating and the Ministry, together with Education Service Commission was tasked with the responsibility of recruiting and deploying staff.

Government recently grant aided 46 secondary schools and the staffs of these schools were recruited through school based.