Teachers under the Uganda National Teachers Union (UNATU) have announced plans to boycott the reopening of schools next week, citing unfair salary disparities between science and arts teachers.

The strike, set to begin on Monday, September 15, threatens to leave thousands of learners in empty classrooms as the third term kicks off.

Addressing members at the union headquarters in Kampala on 11th September 2025, UNATU General Secretary Filbert Baguma said the industrial action follows government’s silence on demands to bridge the pay gap.

“Uganda National Teachers’ Union has resolved to resume industrial action effective September 15 which is the official opening date for third term,”Baguma said.

“The decision follows government’s continued silence on our demand for salary enhancement for all categories of teachers in primary schools and institutions who were left out during the Financial Year 2022/2023 increments,” he added.

Currently, an Arts teacher with a degree qualification earns a gross salary of Shs1,078,162 and takes home Shs 841,931, while their science counterpart pockets Shs4 million gross, translating to Shs2,858,000 net.

A diploma holder Arts teacher receives Shs 784,214 gross and takes home Shs 639,108 net, compared to Shs2.2 million for science diploma holders, creating what UNATU describes as an unacceptable imbalance.

Baguma said that repeated engagements with government and formal communications to the offices of the President, Head of Public Service, and relevant ministries had yielded no results.

“Fellow teachers, this is a moment of truth, if you are unhappy, let the empty classrooms speak for us, let our absences from school compounds be louder than the excuses of government,” he said.

The Ministry of Education has urged teachers to exercise patience, insisting that their concerns are already being addressed.

Dennis Mugimba the Ministry spokesperson said that, “they already met with the President recently, and his position was clear. The commitments he made to the other group equally apply to them. All that is required is patience as government moves to implement the Presidential directive.”

With the third term just days away, the strike shows the growing frustration over salary disparities that continue to divide Uganda’s teaching workforce.

With schools set to reopen on Monday, the focus now moves to government to either act quickly on its promises or risk a strike that could disrupt the new term.