Cabinet has approved the National Teachers Policy (NTP) that seeks to streamline teacher’s management for better productivity, discipline, retention and motivation.
Since 2013, the government of Uganda through the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES), with technical support from the UNESCO International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA) embarked on the process of reviewing, consolidating and updating various teacher policies for effective teacher management and delivery of education services.
Five years later, a comprehensive National Teacher Policy (NTP) was developed and approved by the Education Sector Consultative Commission (ESCC) at its 101st meeting on Thursday September 28, 2017.
Government has a comprehensive and ambitious set of education policies which include the 1992 Government White Paper on Education which recommended the professionalization of the teaching profession.
In a communique made by government Spokesperson Ofwono Opondo, the policy will strengthen pre-service and in-service teacher training so as to enhance competence to effectively deliver quality learning outcomes and leadership at all levels of the education cycle.
In cabinet meeting that convened at Office of the President on Sir Apollo Kaggwa Road, Okayed the move for a comprehensive policy since the existing policies are scattered in numerous documents, outdated, which makes coordinating their implementation difficult.
“The policy will professionalize the teaching profession to levels comparable with other professions like medical, engineering, legal, and accounting among others, standardize teacher development, qualifications and practice across all levels of education,” said Mr. Opondo.
He said according to frame work, the policy will streamline the integration of cross cutting issues into all aspects of teacher training, management and practice at all levels.