Catholic Church sends staff in their private schools on unpaid leave as Covid-19 impacts bite

The Uganda Catholic Church secretariat has sent all its staff in Catholic funded private schools on a temporary suspension and unpaid leave as the country continues to grapple with the effects of Covid-19.

In a letter that was signed by Fr. Ronald Okello who is the National Executive Secretary for Education at the Uganda Catholic Secretariat, all Diocesan Education Secretaries have been asked to "temporarily suspend payments of staff in Catholic funded private schools.

Fr. Okello said in the July 13 letter that, "We kindly advise you to temporarily suspend payments of your staff and mutually agree on unpaid leave especially those on active contracts."

Fr. Okello also asked the Diocesan Education Secretaries to "notify the NSSF and URA in order to avoid penalties of Statutory Deductions."

"This is because we are not sure when schools shall be opened for our learners," Fr. Okello added.

Government in May this year directed all private academic institutions to pay their employees in accordance with the Employment Act and as per agreed in the employment contracts.

“As you are aware, government is paying teachers and other public services workers their full salaries during the lockdown period. Ministry of Education and Sports guidelines for staff employment in private schools and institutions, guideline No. 5(9), provides that school management shall pay the full time staff during both school term and school holidays,” the Ministry of Education wrote in May.

Schools and education institutions have been closed for four months having been closed in a presidential directive as one of the measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus on March 20, 2020.