KAMAPALA– The Ministry of Education and Sports, has asked Parliament to give it exclusive rights to post all students seeking to train as teachers in Uganda for internship, despite the glaring failure the policy is facing in the health sector.
The proposal is contained in the Third Schedule of the National Teachers’ Bill 2024 that was tabled on 6th August 2024, by John Muyingo, Minister of State for Higher Education.
In clause 3 (2) of the Third Schedule of the Bill the Ministry proposed; “The Ministry shall be responsible for the placement and posting of persons undertaking the internship programme” and goes further to propose in clause 5 (2) that; “A person who intends to undertake internship shall apply to the Ministry for placement.”
The proposal by the Ministry of Education comes at the time the Ministry of Health has failed to deploy 1,271 medical interns due to Government’s failure to raise additional Shs18Bn to recruit all interns, and this cost doesn’t include the need to hire more specialists that will monitor and guide the medical interns during the internship training.
According to the Ministry of Education, internship training for teachers will run for 12months and this will only take place in accredited education institutions, where the Head Teachers will be charged with supervising the intern teachers, which can be done through the supervisors attached to the interns.
Why National Teachers Bill
The Ministry of Education defended the enactment of the National Teachers Bill saying the law came as a result of Government’s establishment that there is no framework for professionalising and standardising the teaching profession, through effective internship, registration, licensing, accreditation of teachers.
“Over the years, however, there have been problems of teacher absenteeism; ineffective teaching; low qualifications and lack of standards for teachers; weak institutional leadership; unethical behaviour; lack of teacher regulation; and limited professional development for teachers. Currently, there is absence of an effective legal framework to regulate teachers, including; internship management, teacher registration, teacher licensing, teachers’ professional conduct, Continuous Professional Development and teachers’ discipline generally,” read in part the Bill.
The Ministry further added that the objective of the Bill is to establish a professional body responsible for regulating the teaching profession by consolidating the registration and licensing processes, providing for discipline and professional conduct and continuous professional development of teaching profession.
Glance Into National Teachers’ Bill
Government in clause 27 (3) of the First Schedule of the Bill is seeking powers to administer competence tests for anyone seeking to register as a teacher in Uganda formalize its proposal to have all teachers in Uganda to be degree holders, stipulating; “The person applying to be registered as a teacher to Council may require a undertake a competence test to determine his or her suitability for registration.”
The Ministry of Education proposed to have the competence test to be conducted by the Council or by any institution authorized by the Council to conduct the competence test on behalf of the Council.
The Ministry of Education in clause 28 (1) (a) is seeking to limit teaching practice in education institutions to only degree holders noting that; A person is eligible to be registered as a teacher, if he or she- (a) possesses a degree in education; and has undertaken an internship programme in accordance with the teacher internship programme prescribed in Schedule 3 to this Act and regulations made under this Act.”
The demand by the Ministry of Education to limit teaching to degree holders has in the past attracted scrutiny from educationists who cite the low remunerations within the sector, saying this isn’t in tandem with the cost of attaining a Bachelor’s Degree in Uganda.
Government has proposed a 4year jail sentence for anyone found teaching without in possession of a degree ort teaching license noting in clause 28(3); “A person who contravenes this section commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to a fine of not exceeding one hundred currency points (Shs2M) or imprisonment for a period not exceeding four years or both.”
The Ministry of Education is seeking to open up teaching practice to non-Ugandans where in clause 35, Government is proposing to have such persons to show proof that- (a) he or she is registered or recognized as a teacher in the country where he or she has been practicing by an authority equivalent to the Council; and has been teaching for the past three years.
For non-Ugandans seeking to teach in Uganda, they will be required to make an and submit several documents including; a work permit granted under the Uganda Citizenship and Control Act, a certificate of good conduct issued by Interpol; and have his or her academic qualifications, equated by the National Council for Higher Education.
In clause 38 of the National Teachers’ Bill, Government has detailed guidelines on the renewal of practicing licence for teachers, who will be required, within two months before the expiry of the practicing licence, apply to the Council for renewal of the practicing license.
For teacher training institutions seeking to train teachers in Uganda, the Ministry of Education in clause 43 (2) is seeking to bar any training institution from employing a person to teach a degree in education unless the person possesses the relevant qualifications.
Further in clause 43 (4), Government is seeking to impose a fine not exceeding seven hundred currency points (Shs14M), in the case of a training institution; or to a fine not exceeding two hundred and fifty currency points (Shs5M) or imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, in the case of a natural person.
Government is seeking to give the National Teachers Council powers to de-register teachers in clause 54 (2) by stipulating conditions under which a teacher’s name can be struck off the list including; (a) where the teacher has made a request in writing, that his or her name be removed from the register; b) where the teacher is found guilty of professional misconduct and the Council deems it necessary to remove his or her name from the register; (c) where the teacher is convicted of a capital offence; or (d) where the teacher dies and the Council has obtained proof of death.
Deputy Speaker, Tayebwa referred the National Teachers’ Bill to Parliament’s Education Committee for scrutiny and asked the Committee to make wide consultations amongst all stakeholders affected by the Bill before reporting back to Parliament in 45 days.
