The government has set a period of ten years that required every government teacher to upgrade their academic qualifications
The new guideline was revealed by the State Minister for Higher Education Hon John Chrysostom Muyingo, who was addressing the media ahead of this year’s national Teachers day slated on Wednesday, 30 where he revealed that all government teachers will be required to upgrade the new National Teacher’s policy
According to the minister, the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers places Uganda liable to ensure that it sets out the rights and responsibilities of teachers, as well as standards for their initial training, continuing professional development, recruitment, employment and teaching, and learning conditions but also ensuring their participation in educational decision-making through social dialogue and negotiation with educational authorities
This further aligns with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015 and, in particular, Sustainable Development Goal 4 on education, further confirming the critical role of teachers in achieving the 2030 education agenda.
“I want to say that the National Teacher Policy is meant to make the teaching profession a better profession which we shall all be proud of. Just like other professions, we want to have a teaching profession that is well regulated and with members having a clear identity, ” he said
Adding that they were aware that implementation of the National Teacher Policy would pose some challenges. However, as a Ministry, they were willing to do their best to ensure that the challenges were minimized and overcome.
He said forexample, that for long there has been a fear about how teachers will be able to attain the minimum qualification of a Bachelors’ Degree and that the Policy considered this and a period of ten years and thus given for teachers to upgrade.
Muyingo thus noted that the Ministry has now committed resources that previously have been used to train primary school teachers at the certificate level and secondary school teachers at the Diploma level to support the upgrading of holders of the Grade III and ECD Teachers’ Certificate to the Diploma level.
“I, therefore, want to call upon all teachers to take the change positively for your personal benefit and that of the country,” Minister added
Sighting that no matter where you were in the world, you’ve had a teacher that you still remember for the positive impact that they made in your life—someone that helped you finally grasp a challenging concept in your classroom experience and that it was time to remember those special educators who supported us when we were students, and show gratitude to those who inspired us in the classroom.
Teachers’ Day therefore is celebrated every 5th October annually across the globe to provide a platform to take stock of achievements and raise awareness around the challenges facing teachers and their role in the achievement of education targets.
It’s a day set to realize how teachers can impact students in the same way but also appreciate that teachers are the pillars of strength, the guiding force in students’ lives and they give love, attention, and acceptance to all categories of learners and provides a platform to recognize and a perfect opportunity to thank every teacher that has contributed to our lives through education.
On this Day the nation is given the opportunity to celebrate the teachers, recognizing their contribution and putting a spotlight on the incredible responsibility that they bear in ensuring that all children and youth everywhere can enjoy the right to education.
This year’s celebrations were deferred to enable adequate preparations for this important occasion and will be celebrated under the theme The Transformation of Education begins with Teachers’’
