By KT Reporter
As Parliament prepares for the second and third readings of the National Teacher Bill, two key issues remain hotly contested: the mandatory internship for teacher trainees and the requirement for all teachers, to hold a degree.
The National Teacher Bill which was first tabled in August this year seeks to operationalize the 2019 National Teacher Policy, which among other things aims to professionalize teaching and establish a minimum qualification of a bachelor’s degree for all teachers, from nursery to secondary school.
The bill presented to Parliament also proposes that after earning a bachelor’s degree, all teachers must complete a one-year internship, modeled after the medical internship program.
According to the bill, “The Ministry, through the department responsible for teacher education, shall oversee the overall management of the internship program for teachers… An internship programme shall, under this schedule, be undertaken by individuals holding a Bachelor’s degree in education.”
The Ministry argues that a year-long internship would provide practical training beyond the current 8-12 weeks of school practice. Interns would be placed annually after a competitive application process.
The Ministry introduced the one-year internship to provide teacher trainees with extended practical experience, compared to the current 8 to 12 weeks of school practice. Under the proposal, internship placements would be offered annually, following a call for applications by the Permanent Secretary. Prospective interns would apply to the Ministry for placement.
However, in a majority report presented on Tuesday, members of the Committee of Parliament on Education and Sports recommended removing the internship programme from the bill. Stakeholders who appeared before the committee acknowledged the value of the internship but highlighted financial and logistical challenges.
For example, Lira University noted that implementing the internship as an academic and professional program would require significant budgeting and resource allocation. They also emphasized that internships would impact the academic schedule, as they are integral to teacher training.
“It also has implications for universities and other training institutions, since there will no school practice, faculties of universities must plan to establish demonstration secondary school for their own to provide better practical training for teachers,” the report reads in part quoting officials from lira university.
Kyambogo University also opposed the proposed internship program, raising concerns about whether the Ministry of Education has the resources to implement it. Instead, they recommended revising the current teacher education programs to include three separate teaching practice sessions, one in each year of the degree course.
The committee, drawing insights from stakeholder consultations, noted that a one-year internship is excessive after completing a degree. They also pointed to challenges faced in managing medical internships, emphasizing that similar issues could arise in implementing a teaching internship.
“The requirement of internship for teachers be deleted from the Bill but in the alternative, teachers should be required to do school practice in each year of the teacher training course,” the majority report recommended.
Beyond the internship debate, some Members of Parliament are calling for a review of the proposed degree requirement for all teachers. Presenting the minority report, Shadow Education Minister Joseph Ssewungu argued that it would be unwise to mandate degrees for all teachers, particularly those in early childhood education.
Ssewungu, dramatically waving a rosary in a symbolic gesture to persuade MPs, urged Parliament to maintain the existing Teacher qualifications. He proposed that the government offer higher salaries to degree holders as an incentive for teachers to pursue further education and upgrade their qualifications.
“Government should maintain other lower qualifications but offer competitive pay to encourage professional development,” he emphasized.
The degree requirement being championed by the Ministry of Education has faced significant criticism and opposition from experts since its inception. At the time, the Ministry adopted a defensive stance, largely dismissing any objections.
However, renewed scrutiny during the Policy Review Commission’s sessions reignited debate about the policy’s feasibility and relevance. Many organizations and experts who testified before the commission opposed the proposal, acknowledging that while a degree qualification for teachers is beneficial, it is impractical and overly ambitious given Uganda’s current realities.
Whereas the majority report supported the degree requirement, it also recommended flexibility. It proposed that individuals with relevant degrees and a postgraduate diploma in education should also qualify as teachers, rather than rigidly enforcing a blanket degree policy. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
