Degrees Without Rewards: Why Uganda's Primary Teachers Remain Trapped on U7 Salary Scale.

By Stephen Okhutu Uganda's push to require university degrees for primary school teachers aims to professionalize the teaching force and raise education quality. Yet the reform risks falling short unless paired with a coherent transition plan, transparent re-grading, verified payroll adjustments, and sustained funding. Recent salary enhancements for primary and arts teachers have provided some relief, but educators and analysts highlight a persistent structural problem: many degree-holding teachers remain trapped on the same low U7 and U6 scales as certificate holders, rather than advancing to the U4 scale typical for other university graduates in the public service. This mismatch is