Eight teachers from Isalo Primary School in Kadumire Sub-county, Kaliro District, have been arrested over alleged chronic absenteeism after parents complained that learners were regularly being left without teachers during school hours.
The teachers, including the headteacher, were arrested on Wednesday in an operation sanctioned by the Assistant Resident District Commissioner (RDC) for Kaliro District, Rodgers Kiduma, following complaints from parents and members of the School Management Committee.
Those arrested are headteacher Aggrey Gogi, Kefa Kipiryo, Elliot Isumba, Emmanuel Kulementi, Fred Mutadhuba, Maria Naigaga, Hajira Naura and Esther Wakooli. The suspects are being held at Gadumire Police Station pending investigations.
Parents accuse the teachers of routinely reporting to work several hours late and leaving before the school day ends, denying pupils their constitutional right to education. One parent, who requested anonymity, alleged that many of the teachers spend official working hours running personal businesses instead of teaching. According to the parent, some are engaged in boda boda transport, sugarcane harvesting and operating wholesale shops during school hours.
She claimed the teachers typically report between 10:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., despite lessons officially beginning at 7:30 a.m., causing pupils to lose more than three hours of instruction every day.
Another parent said the situation is made worse by the school’s lack of a perimeter fence, leaving children vulnerable when teachers are absent.
She further alleged that some teachers leave during the lunch break and fail to return for afternoon lessons, forcing pupils to remain at school without supervision. The parents also accused the teachers of fraudulently signing the attendance register for extended periods before absenting themselves from duty.
“This is a form of corruption that denies our children their right to education. We want authorities to thoroughly investigate the matter,” one parent said.
The parents said they petitioned the Resident District Commissioner’s office after repeated appeals to the teachers to adhere to official working hours yielded no improvement.
Kiduma said he personally visited the school at 7:00 a.m. to verify the complaints.According to him, the first teacher reported at 10:45 a.m. He said he instructed the teacher to call the rest of the staff, who arrived between 11:00 a.m. and midday. “The pupils had already lost more than three hours of learning time by the time the teachers arrived,” Kiduma said.
He said the suspects are being investigated for alleged absenteeism, abuse of office and fraud.Kiduma warned that the district had intensified its crackdown on absenteeism in public institutions, saying the arrests should serve as a warning to public officers who neglect their duties. Police in Busoga North have confirmed the arrests, and investigations are ongoing. URN
I do condemn the act, however, it was not good to arrest them. Preferably, they could have been engaged through their District Head of Department.