Teachers face new qualification requirements

The Committee on Education and Sports has recommended that pre-primary, primary, and secondary school teachers must hold a degree in education or a relevant degree alongside a postgraduate diploma in education to qualify for registration.

This proposal is part of the committee’s report on the National Teacher’s Bill, 2023, presented by Committee Chairperson James Kubeketerya during the plenary sitting on Tuesday, November 26.

“The committee observes that the Bill seeks to regularise and standardise the teaching profession. Requiring a Bachelor’s degree for teachers will contribute significantly to this goal,” the report noted.

The Bill proposes the establishment of the National Teacher’s Council (NTC) as a corporate body.

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While the committee welcomed this, it recommended revising the council’s membership to ensure greater representation of active teaching professionals.

“The council currently includes more members not engaged in active teaching than those who are. Only three of the seven members are practising teachers,” Kubeketerya said.

The committee also suggested that the Bill should mandate collaboration between the NTC and other critical agencies such as the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC).

“Clause 10, which provides for collaboration between the NTC and the National Council for Higher Education, should be amended to include other agencies. This would allow for joint efforts in training of trainers and accreditation of continuous professional development programmes for teachers,” Kubeketerya added.

The committee rejected the Bill’s proposal for a one-year internship programme for teachers, arguing that it is excessive given that teachers already undertake school practice as part of their training.

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“A one-year internship after completing a degree is unnecessarily burdensome. Teachers should only be required to complete teaching and school practice,” Kubeketerya stated.

A minority report, presented by Joseph Ssewungu (NUP, Kalungu West County), disagreed with mandating degree qualifications for teachers.

Ssewungu suggested the government implement programmes to gradually upgrade teachers’ qualifications, covering the associated costs.

“Teachers should not be legally required to hold a degree. Instead, the government should encourage gradual upgrading of qualifications and provide salaries and working environments that reflect degree-level expectations,” he said.

He also criticised the establishment of the NTC, arguing that it contradicts government policy on rationalising public expenditure.

“Rather than creating a seven-member council, the funds should be channelled to district inspection departments to oversee and supervise teachers in schools,” Ssewungu added.

The Minister of State for Education and Sports (Higher Education), Chrysostom Muyingo, defended the Bill, stating that it addresses key challenges in the teaching profession, including teacher absenteeism, low qualifications, and lack of regulation.

“The Bill aims to professionalise teaching, ensuring orderly implementation of policy changes while improving the development and management of teachers,” Muyingo explained.

Speaker Anita Among deferred further debate on the Bill to Wednesday, November 27.