Dokolo gov’t schools share teachers with community schools amid shortage

13 May 2025, 6:55 pm

By Denish Ongora

Dokolo district is grappling with a shortage of teachers, forcing government-aided primary schools to share their limited teaching staff with nearby community schools.

The district currently has 60 government-aided and eight community-run primary schools.

However, it has only 730 teachers, far below the required 1,300, according to the district secretary for education and health, Santos Okuja.

Okuja revealed that due to the shortage, some teachers from government schools have been deployed to serve as head teachers and class teachers in community schools.

He noted that this arrangement poses a significant challenge to government schools, which are already struggling with understaffing.

He further appealed to government-aided schools near community institutions to support them with chalk, books, and other scholastic materials.  

Okuja also encouraged these schools to register learners from community schools for the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE).

He called on Members of Parliament to follow up with the government and advocate for the implementation of district council resolutions calling for the formal takeover of community schools. This he says would allow for the recruitment of teachers and the proper equipping of these schools.

Morris Odung Omara, the district schools inspector, said the district is doing its best to support community schools.

He confirmed that government school teachers assigned to community schools are still on the government payroll.