Lwengo faces shortage of teachers

Authorities in Lwengo district have sounded the alarm over a severe shortage of teachers plaguing the district's government schools.

With 130 government schools scattered across the district, the current roster stands at a mere 450 teachers, prompting concerns from officials who assert that the figure falls drastically short of meeting the educational needs of the community.

According to Joseph Mulumba, the Lwengo district education officer, the shortage is dire, with an urgent requirement for approximately 100 teachers to adequately cater for the district's educational demands.

“Shockingly, most governm ent schools in Lwengo are reported to operate with a meagre staff of 7-8 teachers, a number deemed insufficient to provide quality education and support to the students and pupils," Mulumba said.

The  district leaders have pointed fingers at multiple factors exacerbating the situation.

Primarily, they attribute the dwindling number  to a concerning trend of teachers opting for early retirement, often  before reaching the official retirement age.

This premature departure of experienced professionals has left a void in the educational landscape, exacerbating the shortage crisis.

The failure to replenish the workforce has been exacerbated by administrative challenges within the district's governance structures.

The dissolution of the service committee three years ago, coupled with the disbandment of the placement committee in 2021 due to rampant corruption among former officials, has severely hampered the recruitment and deployment of new teaching staff.

It's been revealed that for the past three years, Lwengo district has been unable to initiate hiring processes for new employees, effectively leaving schools without the vital influx of fresh teachers needed to address the growing demand.

The repercussions of this dire situation are far-reaching, with educational standards suffering and the district falling behind in its mission to provide quality education to its young generation.

Students are left underserved, lacking the necessary guidance and mentorship from qualified teachers, while the overall academic performance of schools in the district faces jeopardy.

In response to this crisis, urgent calls have been made for immediate action to rectify the teacher shortage issue.

Education stakeholders are advocating for swift reforms within the district's administrative framework to streamline recruitment processes and combat corruption, ensuring the timely appointment of qualified teachers to fill vacant positions.