A teacher at Butere Girls High School is under scrutiny after the school’s principal accused them of modifying the script of Echoes of War without approval.
In a showcause letter, the principal alleges that the teacher inserted politically charged content into the play ahead of its performance at the Regional Drama Festival, held at Chavakali High School on March 22.
The revised version reportedly featured student performers holding placards and banners with slogans like “Occupy Space,” “SHA,” and “Cash Cow.” According to the principal, these additions reflected anti-government sentiments and strayed from the play’s original intent.
“You are therefore asked to show cause why disciplinary action should not be taken against you for altering the original script to make the play reflect anti-government themes,” the letter reads in part.
The principal argues that the teacher deviated from the approved script previously staged at the County Level Festival on March 18 at Bulimbo Girls High School. She described the changes as unauthorised and contrary to the school’s expectations.
Dated March 25, the letter gives the teacher seven days to provide a written explanation or face undisclosed disciplinary consequences.
The matter has escalated beyond the school, with copies of the letter sent to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Secretary, TSC County and Sub-County Directors, and the chairperson of the school’s Board of Management (BOM).
The case has sparked wider conversations about creative freedom in school theatre and how far teachers can go in interpreting scripts, especially when performances touch on politically sensitive issues.
