Teachers on Thursday stayed away from schools in response to calls of laying down their tools.
The call by the Bufumbira County North legislator came after the Kisoro District Administration scrapped off hard-to-reach allowances for civil servants in the newly established Town Councils.
The new urban councils include Nkuringo, Nyanamo, Rukundo, Mupaka and Rubuguri yesterday responded to the call by the Bufumbira North MP, John Kamara Nizeyimana, by suspending classes.
The MP asked teachers to stay away from work until they get a clear explanation on their hard-to-reach allowances which have been abolished.
Kamara alleges that the funds are being swindled at the district, urging that there was no need to abolish the allowances before the closure of the 2023/24 Financial Year.
“If they have been paying the allowances since the Financial Year began in July 2023, why have they remembered to stop in April, even before the fiscal year ends? The allowances were budgeted for, alongside the salaries, why now?” asked Kamara.
According to Kamara, he was assured by the CAO’s office that the allowances would be remitted to the teachers’ accounts as arrears, which was not done.
He now wants teachers to strike until the relevant officials at Kisoro District Local Government provide a proper explanation.
Voice of Muhabura visited several schools in the Town Councils of Nkuringo, Nyanamo, Rukundo, Mupaka and Rubuguri, where most schools were found closed.
Some had learners playing in the compound with no teachers, while others had head teachers at schools only.
At Gihuranda Primary School in Rukundo Town Council, the Headteacher Mr. Muwanga Benon said all the teachers boycotted the school, forcing him to ask the learners to return home.
According to him, he will attend school on Friday in his capacity as an administrator, to receive whomever visits the school.
The strike was evident at Mupaka and Nkuringo Town Councils, as teachers expressed fears of failure to raise their children’s school fees.
Mugabe Mike Amos, the Head teacher Mwumba Primary School in Nkuringo Town Council noted that some teachers could quit the job.
“How do you expect teachers to continue frequenting to work yet they can’t even manage to pay their children’s school fees? Some teachers are now being removed from the government payroll because their monthly salaries cannot service their Bank loans.” He said.
Nsenga Haba John, the Head teacher Mabuyemeru SDA Primary School in Mupaka Town Council said there was no teaching on Thursday.
“That allowance has been an addition to the monthly salary. You can see how remote this area is, and then we meet such a problem. Most teachers at this school move long distances to reach here and they have now been demotivated.” Said Mr Nsanga John.
The situation was the same at Gitovu Primary School in Mupaka Town Council.
The Head teacher, Sunday Julius, says they were shocked to find that their April and May pay slips captured the withdrawn hard-to-reach allowances.
He regrets that the urban council status of the area has come with negative implications, despite no improvement in services.
In Rubuguri Town Council, most head teachers had left schools and went on with their private business, especially in Kisoro town.
Cyanika, Chahafi boycott strike
However, the situation was different in Cyanika and Chahafi Town Councils, as most schools were business as usual.
www.vomuhabura.com has received unconfirmed reports that schools in the two town councils, in addition to Bunagana, have not faced the problem.
Mr Safari Emmanuel, the Head teacher Gatete Primary School says they will only lay down their tools if the problem persists.
“As teachers, we shall organize a meeting and look for a way forward. It is difficult for teachers, for instance, those who took a 4-year loan to work without going to the Bank.” Said Mr Safari, who is also the Vice Chairperson, Unatu.
Our reporters found classes going on smoothly at Chibumba and Kabami Primary schools in Chahafi Town Council.
Mr Byiringiro Amon, the Headteacher Kabami Primary School, said kabami teachers are teaching normally.
“At Kabami, all our teachers have attended and we are teaching as normal. Hon Kamara is right, but he should table a motion in Parliament so that the policy is changed.” Said Mr Byiringiro at his office.
It remains to be seen how the sit-down strike will continue Friday, but the Kisoro LC5 Chairperson Abel Bizimana on Thursday warned that the striking teachers would be punished.
The Kisoro District Education Officer, (DEO) Emmanuel Mwumvaneza, in an interview with Voice of Muhabura, earlier on Thursday, called for an emergency meeting to look for a solution.
We have not independently established the meetings’ resolutions.
www.vomuhabura.com understands that some striking schools were visited by officials from the District Inspector of Schools’ office to assess the severity of the problem.
Recently, the Kisoro Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Badru Majwala Mayanja, told us that he suspended the teachers hard-to-reach allowances as a directive from his superiors to implement a government policy.
In a Friday morning interview, Hon Kamara threatened to drag Kisoro District Local Government to court over what he called “calculated swindling of teachers’ allowances” before the close of Financial Year.
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