By Leonard Kamugisha AKIDA and Ezrah Kashumbusha,
NATIONAL
Forum for Democratic Change has asked government to review the 2019!National Teacher Policy that requires all teachers at all levels to have a bachelor degree in education as a minimum qualification.
Government in 2019 started implementing the National Teacher policy that sought to close Primary Teachers colleges (PTCs) and National Teachers Colleges (NTCs) from issuing Grade III certificates and Grade V Diplomas to primary and secondary teachers respectively.
To operationalise the policy, the Uganda National Institute of Teacher Education (UNITE) under Kyambogo university was created to supervise teacher education programmes in all higher institutions of learning in the country. This has seen a number of core PTCs being phased out while NTCs have been asked to upgrade to Universities to offer degree programs.
According to FDC, the policy excludes learners from humble backgrounds to attain quality education since tuition paid at NTCs is cheaper than that at a university.
‘’There are many parents whose children scored best points and could go to universities but because they are not on government sponsorship they end up going to NTCs and after completing and getting a job, they can pay for their further education.’’ John Kikonyogo, FDC deputy spokesperson said
He says that removing NTCs and turning them into universities will increase on the number of school dropouts in the country.
Kikonyogo has further tasked the state minister for higher education, John Chrysestom Muyingo to revist this policy.
