Hon. Dr. Elisa Rutahigwa the Rukungiri municipality area Member of Parliament has advised teachers to desist from the bad habit of procuring multiple loans if they are to remain strong financially.
Hon. Dr. Rutahigwa alias Omuturagye made the revelation yesterday, October 5, 2023, while presiding at a celebration of World Teachers Day that was held at Hotel Riverside in the Eastern Division of Rukungiri municipality.
Hon. Rutahigwa claims that some teachers have left their homes due to debt brought on by several loans.
“Teachers must regulate their loan borrowing because multiple borrowing of loans from briefcase money lenders has caused teachers to lose their jobs and others have fled their homes,” Hon. Rutahigwa said.
In order to avoid the exorbitant interest rates imposed by the briefcase moneylenders, who give their clients a limited grace time to return the money borrowed, he advised teachers to apply for loans from a single bank.
It was reported that several teachers have quit their jobs and are now working other businesses to make ends meet as a result of many loans from different financial institutions.
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Hon. Rutahigwa pleaded with teachers to pursue income-generating projects rather than relying solely on salaries, which cannot support their lives and families.
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Rukungiri district Woman Member of Parliament, Hon. Natukunda Midius Kaharata urged the teachers to be passionate about their profession and serve the nation diligently.
“Teachers are the engines of the nation and if we are the engines of the nation, we must love our professional and transform the society shaping learners so that they become productive,” Natukunda said.
She implored the teachers to use the loans to upgrade their qualifications as opposed to spending the borrowed money on luxuries.
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The Rukungiri district Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Hajji Masokoyi Wasswa, stated during the event that teachers should participate in the production of goods and services rather than pray or use witchcraft to escape poverty.
Multiple borrowing, according to the Rukungiri main Chairperson of the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU), Biriho Lovence, has a negative impact on some teachers’ performance, which in turn has a negative impact on students’ overall performance because teachers are spending less time actually teaching as they look for money outside to pay off their loans.
The lack of teachers in the education sector, according to Biriho, will at least be addressed by this year’s theme, “The teachers we need for the education we want.”
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Musimenta Cledonia Clair, the Rukungiri’s secretary for education, business services, and tourism, who also represented chairperson LC5 disclosed that there is a problem with staff housing in schools because it interferes with their ability to manage their time and contributes to absenteeism, which lowers student performance.
Musimenta requested members of parliament to introduce a motion to raise teachers’ pay since doing so will ease some significant lifestyle issues, allowing them to focus on educating youngsters.
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World Teachers’ Day is held annually on October 5 to celebrate all teachers around the globe.
