By Morish Dramadri

Arua

Educational stakeholders in West Nile have welcomed the national teacher policy 2019 that provides for the minimum bachelors level for teachers in the country sighting the need to improve the education standard in the country.

In a consultative meeting with the educationists in West Nile region on the National teachers’ bill 2019, Andrew Tabura, the principal education officer for teacher education training and development department in the ministry of education revealed that this bill aims at attaining the vision of Uganda 2040. “The development we, the government of Uganda aspired for before which is captured in the vision 2040, 2063, and so many other generational goals can only be attained through the delivery of quality education and quality education in turn can only be achieved when we have quality teachers” Tabura revealed. 

Rev. Fr. Picho Epiphany the chairperson governing council for national teachers’ collage Muni urges the teachers to adapt to this new policy since the quality of education world over has improved. “Colleagues this is nothing new at all. Its only here that we have not had such laws governing the teacher profession, if you travel around the world, you will never find what is called a grade3 teacher, they are not there, even to become a nursery teacher first must get a degree and then you go back and train to become a nursery teacher. Last time I was talking with the director Dr. Jane Okaba, I told her we are here late, it would have been yesterday that we have all the graduate teachers. Let us learn to adapt and move with the world” Picho urged. 

As the representative of the central government and doubling us the chief guest, Koliba Monica the Deputy Resident District Commissioner for Maracha tasks the teaching fraternity to take their role in education. “How do we prepare our children so that tomorrow they will also become a teacher, if our children will not pass, then tomorrow we shall not have enough teachers because the standard is high? We have a role to play because when it comes to taking professions, many parent do not want their children to go to the teaching profession, they will always say my son or daughter should become a doctor or an engineer but very few will always say my child should become a teacher. So there is need for a communication strategy so that we would be able to talk to our parents” Koliba tasked the teachers and the educationists.

Meanwhile Christine Achayo the district education officer for Pakwachi district calls upon the law makers to consider the financial implication of the bill before its enactment. “There is no bill that will pass the parliament as an act without the certificate of financial implication. Right from the national teacher policy we have been asking that we are telling teachers to go and upgrade, what will they be paid? But it is coming into a law; it has to be very clear that they will get U-4 like other graduates. We do not want to waste time discussing this bill, and then it will be put on the sheaf to govern us because it has no certificate of financial implication” Christine probed.  

The National teacher policy is designed to professionalize teachers, develop standards and improve the development, management and utilization of teachers in Uganda.

COVER PHOTO: Andrew Tabura speaking to educationists By Morish Dramadri