Teachers in Arua City have been cautioned that failing to remain digitally connected could now carry serious consequences, with a directive requiring head teachers to carry at least UGX 50,000 for data and airtime at all times. The warning was issued on Tuesday during the release of the 2025 mock results for primary schools at Arua Public Primary School, where the Arua City Academic Board (ACAB) convened more than 100 head teachers from the city’s 261 government-aided primary schools.
Raymond Ombere, the Principal Education Officer for Arua City, told the gathering that digital inactivity and illiteracy among public servants were “shameful” and damaging to the education sector’s reputation. He insisted that head teachers must not only have smartphones but also keep them charged, loaded with data, and with enough airtime to perform official duties in real time. “This business of not being online because you lack data must end today. A head teacher should not be bankrupt; it is an offense to walk as a public officer without money. In fact, a head teacher must carry no less than UGX 50,000 at all times,” Ombere said.
The order is closely tied to the government’s Education Management Information System (EMIS), an online platform introduced in 2019 to track school data, teacher performance, and infrastructure. Teachers are required to use EMIS for enrollment reports, attendance updates, and resource tracking, yet connectivity challenges persist. As of 2020, only about 30 percent of Uganda’s 200,000 teachers were registered on the linked Teacher Management Information System (TMIS), leaving gaps in the country’s move towards evidence-based planning. With Uganda’s primary school completion rate standing at just 53 percent—slightly higher for girls (54 percent) than boys (52 percent)—officials argue that digital tools are crucial to improving efficiency.
The directive, however, has drawn mixed reactions among head teachers, who say the demands do not match their financial realities. Primary school teachers earn an average of UGX 395,833 per month, with entry-level salaries starting at UGX 382,237 and the highest scales reaching UGX 2.6 million. While government promised phased increments and welfare improvements, unions such as the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) say many pledges remain unfulfilled. Salary delays have further strained the system, leading to strikes in several districts, including Arua, where schools such as Eruba Primary recently operated at half capacity due to industrial action. Earlier in September, UNATU declared a nationwide strike and called for a boycott of World Teachers’ Day celebrations.
For many head teachers, Ombere’s requirement seemed unrealistic. “What teachers, including head teachers, receive cannot cover carrying UGX 50,000 daily. As I speak now, I don’t even have UGX 10,000 in my pocket,” said Elema Justus Oloto, head teacher of Pokea Primary School. “That’s why we are urging government to increase our salaries so we can have some money regularly.” Others pointed to the inadequacy of capitation grants as a major stumbling block. Government currently provides UGX 20,000 per pupil annually, spread across instructional materials, co-curriculars, maintenance, and administration. But with delayed disbursement, schools often receive only 80 to 90 percent of the allocated funds on time, making it difficult to cover basics such as internet bundles. “I personally agree with the move, but our main challenge is the limited funds from government aid. When the capitation grant runs out, it becomes difficult to load data onto our devices,” noted Victor Alioni, head teacher of Ediofe Boys Primary School.
Uganda’s National Planning Authority has recommended tripling the capitation grant to UGX 63,546 per pupil annually, arguing that the current figure falls well below inflation-adjusted needs and UNESCO’s benchmark of allocating at least 20 percent of GDP to education. Uganda presently spends between 14 and 17 percent.
The challenges in Arua mirror national struggles. With overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages, and infrastructure deficits, the district faces even greater pressure as a border region accommodating refugees from South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Student-teacher ratios often exceed the recommended 40:1, and dropout rates remain high. Ombere nevertheless urged teachers to adopt proactive digital engagement as the city prepares for the Primary Leaving Examinations in November.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education is banking on the World Bank-funded ULEARN Project, which is expected to inject UGX 1.19 trillion into infrastructure, materials, and digital systems between 2025 and 2030. But for local educators on the ground, the concern is immediate. Unless salary and funding shortfalls are addressed, critics warn that new rules demanding teachers carry UGX 50,000 in their pockets may deepen frustration and further erode morale rather than improving accountability.
