Salary Enhancement Strategy and Teacher Retention in Government Aided Secondary Schools in Masaka City

The study focused on investigating the relationship between salary enhancement strategy and teacher retention in government aided secondary schools in Masaka City. The study was steered by these specific objectives; i) To examine the relationship between merit based pay and teacher retention, ii) To examine the relationship between overtime pay and teacher retention, and iii) To examine the relationship between performance bonuses and teacher retention in government aided secondary schools in Masaka City. The study assumed a correlational research design with a quantitative approach. A sample of 80 people was taken into account including school administrators and teachers from 4 selected government aided secondary schools in Masaka City. Correlation and descriptive analysis were used to deliver answers to the study portent. The study showed that there is a strong positive and statistically significant relationship between merit based pay and teacher retention in government aided secondary schools in Masaka City. The study also showed that there is a moderate positive and statistically significant relationship between overtime pay and teacher retention in government aided secondary schools in Masaka City. Further, the study discovered that there is a very strong positive and statistically significant relationship between performance bonuses and teacher retention in government aided secondary schools in Masaka City. Thus, the study concludes that salary enhancement strategy such as merit based pay, overtime pay, and performance bonuses have a statistical and significant relationship with teacher retention in that an enhancement in the different salary enhancement strategies will resultantly lead to a progress in teacher retention in government aided secondary schools in Masaka City. The study recommends that the central government and the district local government should institutionalize and implement regular and periodic salary reviews and increments based on inflation, performance, and tenure as this maintains purchasing power and shows that the government values teachers’ continuous service, which might resultantly lead to an enhancement in teacher retention in government aided secondary schools in Masaka City.