Members of Parliament (MPs) have vowed to reject the National Teachers Bill, 2024, saying it falls short of comprehensively addressing teachers’ perennial welfare concerns.
The legislators said whereas the Bill proposes a minimum of university degree for all teachers – which is commendable -, it does not adequately cater to the welfare needs of teachers, which they say is a deal breaker.
The legislators spoke in Parliament’s Committee on Education, which hosted private schools’ teachers for their views on the Bill, on Thursday 03 October, 2024.
Hon. Dorothy Nyakato (NRM, Kitagwenda District Woman Representative) said government cannot expect good quality teachers without addressing their welfare.
“Teacher’s welfare is not mentioned anywhere in this Bill and yet government is looking for quality,” she said.
Hon. Nathan Itungo (NRM, Kashari South County) said ironically, some teachers cannot afford quality education for their own children, a factor attributable to their dire financial straits.
“However qualified a teacher is, if the issue of welfare is not handled you cannot be a competent teacher. We need to deal with issues of welfare where a teacher should be well accommodated and fed, “said Itungo.
To Hon. Connie Nakayenze (NRM, Mbale City Woman MP), the remuneration of teachers is the most important thing which the Bill should address.
“If someone is earning Shs80,000 per month and has to walk for a long distance to work. This is disheartening,” Nakayenze said.
The private schools teachers through their bodies – the National Private School Teachers Association (NAPSTA) and Uganda Private Teachers’ Union (UPTU) – attributed persistent teacher absenteeism to poor remuneration.
Peter Etiang, Chairperson, NAPSTA said the Bill should bridge the pay gap between arts and sciences subjects teachers.
“Nowhere in the Bill is welfare of teachers mentioned. The existing disparities between science teachers and those teaching humanities should be harmonised in this law,” he said.
Etiang opposed a proposal in the Bill for a mandatory one-year internship for teachers, saying government should learn from the current medical interns’ crisis, which could also burden teachers.
“Who will meet the cost of internship? Who will facilitate the teachers and the supervisors? There is going to be a challenge,” Etiang said.
He also criticised as untenable, a clause which seeks to enforce mandatory competence tests on teachers.
Hon. Philiphs Lokwang (NRM, Napore West County) agreed with Etiang, saying there is no need to pre-test teachers who have already undergone teaching practice.
“The process of a teacher is all about testing, it is a continuous assessment,” he said.
Juma Mwamula, General Secretary, UPTU called for withdrawal of the Bill, saying the proposed law in its current state does not address teachers’ needs.
“We recommend that the Committee advises the Ministry of Education to undertake consultations with key stakeholders in identifying sector priorities that then form a basis of legislation and regulation of teachers and the education sector,” he said.
Hon. Abdul Mutumba (NRM, Kiboga West County) defended the law as a necessity given the evolving nature of the teaching profession.
“Society is evolving and so is the teaching profession. We would not want a teacher in this era to be like a teacher in the 1660’s,” said Mutumba.
