Kampala — ON Monday many primary schools countrywide were closed. Reason? It was World Teachers' Day and they needed a day off to attend the celebrations. In practice, however, most teachers used this as a day off to catch up on other issues.

This practice, which has existed for years, is misguided. True, we need a special day to make the world know how teachers matter, thank them for the great things they have done, foster respect for them and motivate them.

Teachers mould the lives of most people and set the foundation on which a nation is built, yet they get little in return.

However, this cannot be reversed by taking a day off from work. You do not need to close schools for a whole day to appreciate teachers and advocate their welfare.

That is why International Teachers Day is not a public holiday in Uganda. To create a school day-off during a week that already has a gazetted public holiday leads to unnecessary loss of teaching time. Other professions, too, have special days but do not stay away from work. What would happen if hospitals closed on every International Nurses' Day, 12th May? Or if radio stations closed on World Press Freedom Day?

On the contrary, International Teachers' Day should be an occasion to invite policy makers, inspectors, parents and stakeholders to schools to see what they have achieved. The teachers' union should work out better ways to advocate their welfare and influence education policies.