Parliament Passes National Teachers Bill to Overhaul Uganda’s Education Sector

Parliament has passed the National Teachers Bill, 2024, with significant amendments aimed at redefining the standards of education in Uganda.

The legislation marks a historic shift toward the professionalization of teaching, introducing rigorous licensing requirements and establishing a powerful new regulatory body.

The Bill, which gives legal effect to the 2019 National Teachers’ Policy, was approved following a comprehensive review by the Committee on Education and Sports. Its primary mission is to eliminate long-standing gaps in the 2008 Education Act, specifically targeting teacher absenteeism, low qualifications, and unethical conduct.

At the heart of the new law is the establishment of the National Teachers Council. This body corporate will serve as the central authority for the profession, tasked with registering and licensing all teachers across the country.

Under the new regulations, teaching will no longer be an “open-entry” profession. To be eligible for registration, aspiring teachers must now possess a degree in education and successfully complete a supervised Teacher Internship Programme. This program will assess candidates not just on pedagogical skills, but also on leadership and professional conduct.

Furthermore, no person, whether in a public, private, or international school will be permitted to teach without a valid practicing license, which must be renewed every four years.

The Bill’s passage followed intense debate and several critical amendments proposed by the Committee on Education and Sports, led by observations from benchmarking visits to countries like Ghana.

While there were calls to include university lecturers under this law, Parliament maintained the focus on pre-primary, primary, and secondary levels. The Committee noted that tertiary educators are already governed by the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act, avoiding a duplication of legal frameworks.

One of the most significant changes made by Parliament was the expansion of the National Teachers Council’s membership. Critics originally argued the Council lacked grassroots representation. The amended Bill now ensures a broader seat at the table for active teachers, teacher unions, and representatives from the Ministry of Education and the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE).

In a win for educators, Parliament agreed with stakeholders that mandatory competence tests for registration were redundant for those who had already qualified through recognized training institutions and internship programs. Instead, the focus will shift toward Continuous Professional Development (CPD), with the government urged to provide incentives for teachers to upgrade their skills regularly.

To address the “defect” of weak oversight in previous years, the Bill establishes a Disciplinary Committee. This body is empowered to investigate complaints of professional misconduct and criminal convictions, with the authority to suspend or revoke the licenses of errant teachers.

The Minister of State for Higher Education, Dr. Chrysostom Muyingo, who moved the Bill, emphasized that these reforms are essential for improving the quality of learning outcomes. 

By centralizing teacher management and ensuring that only qualified, ethical professionals enter the classroom, the National Teachers Bill, 2024, seeks to restore the prestige of the teaching profession in Uganda. The law now awaits presidential assent before it can be fully implemented.