Alebtong & Amuru Districts | 14th & 19th August 2025 — As part of its continued commitment to supporting school leadership, the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) conducted Performance Management Trainings for Heads of Institutions in Alebtong District (14th August) and Amuru District (19th August).
These trainings aimed at strengthening the administrative and leadership capacity of school heads by equipping them with knowledge on appraisal systems, the new Human Capital Management (HCM) system, teacher welfare issues, and the broader role of UNATU in representing and supporting educational professionals.
Partnership with District Education Departments
The sessions were officially opened by the District Education Officers (DEOs) of Alebtong and Amuru, who commended UNATU for partnering with the District Education Departments to support performance improvement at the institutional level. In their opening remarks, the DEOs emphasized that performance management is not only about supervising teachers but also about mentoring, modeling professionalism, and ensuring effective service delivery.
They encouraged head teachers to take the training seriously and to share the skills and knowledge gained with fellow staff in their respective schools.
Welcome Remarks & Workshop Objectives
In both districts, the UNATU Branch Chairpersons welcomed participants and thanked them for attending. They outlined the training objectives, which included:
Understanding and completing performance appraisals effectively
Navigating the new HCM system and managing login details securely
Clarifying procedures on retirement, transfers, and promotions
Addressing common challenges in human resource management
Understanding UNATU’s Role in Performance Management
A dedicated session was held in each district to help head teachers better understand UNATU’s role as a union that does more than advocacy. Facilitators explained how UNATU serves as a link between teachers and the education offices, helping forward issues such as delayed salaries, unclear transfers, and workplace grievances.
They also emphasized that every school has UNATU representatives, whose role is to ensure smooth communication and early reporting of administrative or welfare concerns.
Human Resource Issues and HCM Insights
The District Human Resource Officers (HROs) in both Alebtong and Amuru delivered insightful sessions on human resource-related issues frequently encountered among teachers. Key topics included:
Multiple loans and their impact on monthly salary payments
Common errors in appraisals and how to avoid them
The importance of keeping HCM login credentials safe
Clear procedures for teacher transfers and promotional opportunities
The HROs advised head teachers to guide their staff in understanding new systems and processes and highlighted the importance of timely documentation and consistent follow-up with district offices.
Interactive Plenary & Union Confidence
Each training closed with a plenary session, where head teachers posed questions around various policy and operational matters. Discussions addressed:
Salary enhancement updates
Union representation vs. splinter groups
Teacher discipline, support structures, and recordkeeping
Participants expressed renewed confidence in UNATU, with many acknowledging that the training provided much-needed clarity on issues they previously found confusing or inaccessible.
