{"id":168,"date":"2026-10-05T05:43:58","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T05:43:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gugudde.org\/blog\/?p=168"},"modified":"2026-10-05T05:43:58","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T05:43:58","slug":"world-teachers-day-2026-unatu-calls-for-greater-respect-better-conditions-for-teachers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gugudde.org\/blog\/world-teachers-day-2026-unatu-calls-for-greater-respect-better-conditions-for-teachers\/","title":{"rendered":"World Teachers\u2019 Day 2026: UNATU Calls for Greater Respect, Better Conditions for Teachers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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As the world marks World Teachers\u2019 Day 2026<\/strong>, the Uganda National Teachers\u2019 Union (UNATU) has called for greater respect, improved working conditions and increased investment in teachers, saying the future of Uganda\u2019s education system depends on the welfare and professional dignity of educators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year\u2019s theme, \u201cCelebrating Teachers \u2013 Creating Lasting Value,\u201d<\/strong> coincides with the 60th anniversary of the 1966 ILO\/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers<\/strong>, which established principles around professional development, decent working conditions, fair remuneration, employment security and teachers\u2019 participation in education decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In its World Teachers\u2019 Day message issued on 5 October 2026<\/strong>, UNATU said the anniversary provides an opportunity to reflect on the progress made over the past six decades and to examine the realities facing teachers in Uganda today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The union said it recently conducted a 24-hour online survey involving more than 200 teachers to understand what they wanted the public to know about their profession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to UNATU, teachers described their work as one of dedication, sacrifice and endurance, while also expressing frustration over how the profession is perceived and the conditions under which they are expected to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The union reported that teachers said their responsibilities go far beyond classroom teaching. They are also expected to counsel and mentor learners, engage parents, maintain records, provide discipline and support children facing challenges outside the classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UNATU said these responsibilities are often carried out in large classes, with limited resources and in difficult working environments, including hard-to-reach areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The union further emphasized that teachers are human beings with families, financial responsibilities and personal challenges, arguing that teacher wellbeing should be treated as an essential part of education quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UNATU also described teachers as the foundation of every other profession, noting that doctors, engineers, scientists, farmers, public servants and other professionals all pass through the hands of teachers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the union raised concerns over remuneration, salary disparities, professional progression and recognition for teachers who pursue further education and upgrade their qualifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also cited heavy workloads, inadequate teaching resources, difficult working conditions, housing and transport challenges, as well as concerns over medical and welfare support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UNATU called for the teaching profession to remain united, regardless of specialization, saying efforts to promote science, technology, skilling and technical education should not create a hierarchy among teachers or undermine the importance of Arts and Humanities, primary education, secondary education, TVET or teacher education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The union also highlighted gender equality<\/strong>, noting that women constitute a significant proportion of the teaching workforce but continue to face challenges related to pay, safety, career progression and leadership opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UNATU called on the government to ensure fair and transparent remuneration and career progression, taking into account teachers\u2019 qualifications, experience and professional upgrading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The union also urged authorities to improve teacher welfare and provide safe, adequately resourced working and living environments, particularly in hard-to-reach communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It called for schools and education institutions to receive resources that correspond with the number and needs of learners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On accountability, UNATU said it supports efforts to fight corruption but warned against approaches that publicly humiliate, intimidate or demean teachers and head teachers. It argued that accountability should be pursued through proper investigations, dialogue, due process and established policies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The union further called for teachers to have a meaningful voice in education policy, social dialogue and collective bargaining, in line with the principles of the 1966 ILO\/UNESCO Recommendation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UNATU also appealed to parents, communities, the media and civil society to respect teachers, value their professionalism and work with them to address challenges affecting the education sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The union cautioned against making teachers the default targets of blame for every problem in the education system, saying the way adults speak about teachers influences how children perceive and treat them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Uganda commemorates World Teachers\u2019 Day, UNATU said the country should go beyond celebrating teachers and instead listen to them, respect their work, support their wellbeing and invest in their professional future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The union said that investing in teachers ultimately means investing in learners, every profession and the future of Uganda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UNATU’s National Chairperson Tumuhimbise Zadock<\/strong> and General Secretary Baguma Filbert Bates<\/strong> signed the statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The union’s message is clear: Listen to teachers. Respect teachers. Support teachers. Invest in teachers.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As the world marks World Teachers\u2019 Day 2026, the Uganda National Teachers\u2019 Union (UNATU) has called for greater respect, improved working conditions and increased investment in teachers, saying the future of Uganda\u2019s education system depends on the welfare and professional dignity of educators. This year\u2019s theme, \u201cCelebrating Teachers \u2013 Creating Lasting Value,\u201d coincides with the … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":169,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-168","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gugudde.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gugudde.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gugudde.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gugudde.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gugudde.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=168"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gugudde.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":170,"href":"https:\/\/gugudde.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168\/revisions\/170"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gugudde.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/169"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gugudde.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=168"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gugudde.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=168"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gugudde.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=168"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}