​The Teachers Instructors and Education Development (TIED) in conjunction with Enabel Uganda has thrown more light to the National Teachers Policy and the Issues concerning the Uganda National Institute of Teacher Education (UNITE) during the roll-out workshop in NTC Unyama from 19^th – 21^st November, 2021. 

Among the key standards of the policy implementation in parts include the following:

 

Standard 1: Admission and Enrolment of Quality Trainees.

"Come 2022, there shall be no admission of candidate for diploma courses into National Teachers' Colleges. The National Teachers' College will be admitting students for degree courses"  Haji Abdul Kibedi, the Principal Education Officer Ministry of Education and Sports emphasized this during the roll-out of the National Teachers Policy at National Teachers' College Unyama.

Implication:

• No more admission of S.4 leavers to Teacher Training Courses
• Admission of S.6 leavers to teacher training institutions starts in 2021
• Application and Selection is to be decentralized to training colleges
• Candidates will undergo selection interviews at college level
• Need for sensitization and career guidance of S.6 students on available options

 

Standard 2: Initial Teacher Preparation and Accreditation.

Minimum of a Bachelors degree in education for all levels (specializing in either primary, secondary, or tertiary) awarded by the Uganda National Institute of Teacher Education(UNITE).

 Implication:

• Curricula need to be upgraded to degree level , and designed to allow for specialization
• Teacher educators need to be oriented to degree level curriculum delivery
• Colleges need to be restructured for degree level training
• UNITE  established in Shimoni.

 

 

 Standard 3: Remuneration and Incentives for Teachers.

 Implication:

• Plan for graduate salaries for all teachers
• Focus on construction of teacher houses
• Effect an efficient payroll management system
• Enforce guidelines for teacher employment in private institutions
• Employ a range of other incentives to motivate teachers

 

Standard 4: Career Development Pathways for Teachers
 

"Career development will be structured along three pathways: Teaching, Specialist, and Leadership. Teachers will choose which pathway to advance in their careers."  The policy states.

  Implication:

• The pathways will create specialist professional cadres in teaching, curriculum, assessment, institutional leadership, and education management.

 

Standard 5: Professional Development and Continuous Learning.

Continuous Professional Development is compulsory to keep teachers up to date and will be a requirement for re-registration every after a period of  two years.
 

Implication:

• All Teachers will undertake approved Continuous Professional Development courses to keep up-to-date in the profession
• Records of all CPD courses have to be kept in an established database
• All teachers and education managers will undergo probation/induction on assumption of duty

 

Standard 6: Accountability and Performance Management of Teachers.

There will be mandatory teacher evaluation.
 

Implications:

• All teachers will be subjected to periodic evaluation of their performance
• There will be enhanced performance management system
• Teacher will be held accountable for the performance of their learners.

Standard 7: Institutional Leadership and Management.

All education leaders and managers shall have the required qualifications and experience before appointment to those positions
 

Implication:

• All those in education leadership and management must undergo an advanced training program focused on leadership and management pathway

 

Standard 8: Teacher Symbolism.

Promote a positive image of the teaching profession
 

Implication:

• Promotion of a culture of public respect for teachers
• Give professional autonomy to teachers
  Promote quality demand driven recruitment practices, standard workload, and working environment
• Give both local and national recognition to proficient teachers
• Brand and market the teaching profession
• Ensure all teachers uphold the professional code of conduct

 

Standard 9: Teacher Policy Integration, Alignment and Coherence.

All institutions and stakeholders dealing with teacher issues shall collaborate to advance the objective of the teacher policy
 

Implication:

• The National Teacher Council and UNITE shall be established as key institutions to standardize teacher issues
• Other institutions advancing teacher issues shall be recognized and partnership with them promoted within the policy boundary

 

Standard 10: Integration of appropriate 21st Century Skills.

 

Teachers equipped with 21st Century Skills
 

 

Implication:

• Teacher training curriculum and delivery is enriched to enable teachers be equipped to demonstrate 21st century skills such as effective communication, problem solving skills, critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, risk-taking, and digital literacy
• Teachers to become lifelong learners, facilitators of learning, designers of learning environment, and mentors
• Teachers to embrace new pedagogies and transform pedagogical practices aimed at achieving better learning outcomes
   

Standard 11: Teacher Professional Conduct
 

There shall be respect for principles of natural justice in handling disciplinary issues of teachers in case of professional misconduct.
 

 

 

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