By Mike Rwothomoi

Pakwach, Uganda – In a troubling incident, two teachers from Ayara Primary School in Pakwach Town Council have been arrested for heavy drinking during working hours.

The teachers, Richard Thopacu and Pascal Omara were detained by police on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, following reports from concerned community members.

Michael Ocama, the deputy head teacher of Ayara Primary School, stated that the school administration was alerted by the community about the teachers’ misconduct.

“One of them had requested permission to seek medical care, which we granted, while the other did not seek any permission. We later received information from the community that the two staff members were drunk and causing disturbances. We had to intervene,” Ocama explained. He added that these teachers frequently abandoned their classes, leaving students unattended.

Maxwell Atia, the District Inspector of Schools, confirmed that there had been multiple reports of misconduct against the two teachers.

“The headteacher had reported their behaviour to us in writing several times. When they were arrested, the police asked me to provide evidence of their chronic absenteeism, which I did,” Atia said.

Teacher absenteeism is a significant issue in rural schools in Pakwach District, negatively impacting student performance and academic achievements. Despite efforts by education officials to address this problem, it remains prevalent.

Topista Mono, the councillor of Amor West Ward, urged leniency towards the teachers due to the school’s staffing challenges.

“Given the severe shortage of staff, I appeal for the teachers to be pardoned and cautioned instead of facing harsh penalties,” she said.

Attempts to get comments from the Pakwach District Police Commander on the arrest and potential charges against the suspects were unsuccessful.

A recent report by the Inspectorate of Government indicated that Uganda’s education sector lost 1.9 trillion UGX to corruption and teacher absenteeism between January and June 2022.

In response to such issues, the Ministry of Education and Sports launched the Teacher Effectiveness and Learner Achievement (TELA) system in 2023. This system aims to monitor the attendance of teachers, head teachers, and students nationwide.

The arrest of Thopacu and Omara highlights the ongoing struggle to maintain educational standards in rural Uganda, where teacher absenteeism and misconduct continue to hinder academic progress.