Advocating for and creative MHPSS safe spaces for Teachers in Uganda.: Experiences from Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU)

• In Event: Addressing Teachers’ unmet needs and persistent challenges impacting on their wellbeing in Africa: Education Policy and practices in five Countries

Proposal

The Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) affirms that teachers play a paramount role in providing MHPSS to their learners and in sustaining resilient education systems; therefore, supporting teachers’ own well-being is essential if they are to fulfil this role.
Uganda has had challenges affecting the teaching profession due to internal conflicts, hostilities like violent attacks by rebels on schools and education institutions like Kichwamba Technical Institute in 1998, killing 80 students and Lubhiriha Community Secondary School in June 2023 killing 37 learners. The high costs of living due to the current post-COVID inflation have left many teachers unable to meet their family and personal needs given the meagre salaries. ThIS has led many teachers to apply for multiple loans for survival. This portrays the profession negatively. Refugee situation: In conflict-affected and forced displacement contexts, education provides lifesaving and sustaining skills. Formal and non-formal schools are important sites for delivering mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) to affected children and youth, and teachers are at the center of this work. Yet teachers in emergency, chronic crisis and early recovery contexts receive minimal if any MHPSS support themselves.
As an intervention to create safe spaces for teachers, the UNATU begun by undertaking research and strengthening the capacity of teachers to undertake action research on factors affecting their well-being. 26 were trained from 26th to 30th June 2023.
This will be followed by the training of 100 teachers in mental health and psychosocial support and alongside Community Development Officers, Probation and Social Welfare Officers, Head Teachers and District Health Department who will work hand in hand with the trained teachers to support in counseling and guidance. Each local government will have a designated team to support.
Financial literacy and management is another area of concern to address multiple borrowing by teachers. For sustainable delivery of services, there is a need for teachers who are well trained in PSS in each school. UNATU has also previously conducted successful social dialogues supported by UNESCO on factors that affect teachers performance and the quality of education. Jointly, recommendations were generated on the best way forward. This has been one of UNATU’s most successful interventions in documenting issues affecting teachers and the quality of education. Other partners such as Ministry of Education and Sports Uganda, Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development Uganda, a nongovernmental organization such as Strong Minds Uganda, HIVOS and Education International also supported the initiatives.
UNATU is in the process of engaging the leadership at the Local Government level to establish a support scheme for teachers who experience serious psychosocial problems. Preventive approach to MHPSS is more relevant than the curative approaches since teachers after experiencing advanced stages of stress take long to recover and this affects not only the teaching -learning processes but also the family members. The referral pathway is important for effective delivery of MHPSS services.

Author

• FILBERT BATES (UNATU), Uganda National Teachers Association