Uganda's Education Experts Split Over Teacher Qualifications in New National Law

Uganda’s Parliament recently approved the National Teachers’ Bill 2024, set to establish a National Teachers’ Council for regulating the profession. A key change removes the mandatory bachelor’s degree for all teachers, allowing the Education Minister to define standards via statutory instruments in consultation with relevant bodies.

This decision aims to protect thousands of experienced certificate and diploma holders, particularly in nursery and primary schools, from exclusion. Vincent Elong of the Uganda Professional Science Teachers’ Union (UPSTU) supports it, comparing it to the President’s Senior Six qualification and noting existing standards suffice.

Opponents like Filbert Baguma of the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) argue for higher benchmarks, citing top global education systems where teachers hold master’s degrees. He emphasizes that pre-primary education forms the foundation and deserves qualified professionals. Patrick Kaboyo of the Education Advocacy Network agrees, advocating uniform degrees to eliminate discrimination across teaching levels.

All agree existing teachers won’t be displaced, with a 10-year grace period for upgrades. Younger educators are urged to pursue higher qualifications before retirement.

Debate also surrounds mandatory continuous professional development for license renewal every four years. While welcomed for professionalism, experts warn against commercialization, which could burden teachers financially. Elong sees it as repackaged existing training.

Parliament dropped internship requirements after concerns over supervision capacity, favoring current school practice. Kaboyo calls for a resourced framework, while others view it as duplicative.

Penalties for violations include up to five years imprisonment or Shs1 million fines, plus license suspensions.

The bill, rooted in a 2019 policy and UNESCO studies, awaits presidential assent. Source: Daily Monitor