Teachers’ Job Amenities in the Developing world: A precursor for peak school perfomance in Uganda

In most cases, head teachers and members of thetheir payment to the detriment of either wider
school management committees of schools in thecoverage of the education system or better provision
developing world think that enhancing studentof complementary inputs (such as textbooks for
performance in schools is strongly linked with hiring highexample). This then raises a crucial question about the
quality teachers especially examiners and resourceeffect of teacher salaries on school performance
persons. However, it is also important to note thatbecause school performance depends not only on
teacher performance is triggered by providing themteachers’ pay but also other determinants of
with enough job amenities. People join organizations likeperformance which require availability of financial
schools in order to satisfy their varied needs.resources. This present study will try to respond to this
Teachers, for example, join teaching expecting tointractable dilemma.
meet their financial and social needs because they areIf teachers’ compensation becomes too low, it can
in turn paid salaries and even given other incentives tobe feared that teachers’ commitment to their job
improve their livelihoods. Declining school quality is onewill be affected and that the quality of schooling will
of the most serious problems facing Third Worldsuffer the consequences of this loss of motivation.
countries and particularly in Africa. It is mainly the lackBased on an averaging of the characteristics of the
of teacher amenities that limit opportunities to enhanceeducation systems of various countries that seem to
teacher morale and performance leading to decliningbe under way to reach the EFA targets, that a
school quality in the developing countries becausereasonable level for an average teachers’ salary
powerful teacher incentives determine school quality. Awould be about 3.5 units of per capita GDP. If this level
teachers' strike was for example looming in Kenya aswas to be aimed at, most African countries would
the government has reneged on its pledge toindeed have to carry on decreasing the salaries paid
implement to the letter a teacher’s remunerationto their teachers. This paper documents the level and
package recommended by a commission it appointedtrends of teachers’ pay in Africa, discusses the
in 1997.validity of the various arguments sketched above
School performance is directly linked to the quality andbased on existing literature, and ends by detailing some
quantity of teacher remuneration. To improve teachers'case studies. Since the mid-70s, African teachers
satisfaction and performance, Botswana initiated ahave witnessed a continuous decline in their salaries,
major reform in teachers’ incentives of juniorleading to a general reduction in the number of
secondary education. To assess its effectiveness,teachers as indicated by declines in the number of
classroom observations were conducted on 549teachers from 8.6% in 1975 to 4.4% in 2000. This
teachers in 50 classrooms. However, teacherdecline amounts on average to a halving of the
satisfaction is in most cases due to the school’steachers’ wage expressed in units of per capita
ability to provide adequate basic necessities to its staff.GDP from 6.6% in 1975 to 3.7% in 2000.
The most direct incentives provided by schools includeNevertheless, the wage bill is still eating up most of the
housing, transport allowances and salaries. However,recurrent expenditures for primary education.
the Botswana studies discovered a paradox forHowever, Mingat adds that recurrent expenditure was
school reformers that increased job satisfaction may97% of Senegal primary education sector in the period
not improve performance or student achievement,1992-1997 going to also other sectors apart from
because satisfied teachers may resist efforts tosalaries for teachers. This same story applies to
change. However, in Uganda the opposite is true.Ugandan schools where other sectors like feeding
Teachers and school administrators attach candidstudents, purchasing academic materials and other
value to job amenities. In order to ensure improvedinevitable expenses try to consume what might be
performance, school administrators try to motivatepaid to teachers because these other expenses are
teachers using job amenities like wage increment,also crucial to academic performance of students.
housing allowances, transport allowances, promotion onIn conclusion, it is safe to say that job amenities are
the job etc.the core for effective performance of teachers and
There is a widespread perception that whenother staff in schools. When management provides
teachers’ pay is low, this is the greatest obstacle toteachers with tangible amenities then there is a reason
attracting motivated and highly competent people toto believe that teachers will reduce moonlighting and
the profession. Since deficient teachers pose one ofwill at the same time work effectively to expand
the most severe constraints on the provision of astudents’ opportunities by improved academic
quality education, the perception is that if teacherperformance.
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