It seems that, although East African countries recognise the importance of universal education for the future of their countries, there is considerably less enthusiasm when it comes to paying for it. Last week some 200,000 teachers went on strike because class sizes are too high to be manageable; they were demanding that the government employ at least another 28,000 teachers to share the load. The real teacher shortage is closer to 60,000.
A teachers’ strike is looming in Tanzania, where the Tanzania Teachers Union claims that teachers are owed $27 million in salary arrears and $11 million in allowances. The Union has given the government a deadline of next Monday to address those issues. Ugandan teachers have also been on strike in the past week demanding pay rises. It is well known that teachers are very poorly paid in Uganda, but the government says it does not have the money to meet their demands.
Educational standards have suffered as a result of the crisis. According to The East African, the teacher to student ratio in Kenya is 1:38; in Uganda it is 1:58; and in Tanzania it is 1:60. Although high percentages of children attend school, according to a recent report by Uwezo, the majority do not achieve Standard Two skill levels until they have almost completed primary school.