The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has opposed a proposed Ministry of Education and Sports policy seeking to centralise teacher training in Uganda, warning that the move could reduce the number of teachers being trained and worsen the existing teacher shortage.
According to the FDC, the proposed policy would establish a few gazetted national teacher training institutions under the direct control of the Ministry, while phasing out the existing 33 Primary Teachers Colleges (PTCs) and five National Teachers Colleges (NTCs) in Kabale, Mubende, Kaliro, Unyama and Muni.
The party also says the proposal would stop public and private universities, including Makerere, Kyambogo, Muni, Gulu and Busitema, from training teachers. The Ministry is reportedly considering the arrangement to promote uniformity in teacher training and align training with the Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC).
The FDC argues that centralising teacher training would reduce the annual number of teachers produced at a time when Uganda already faces a significant shortage. The party says the country has more than 15 million learners and about 300,000 teachers, with pupil-to-teacher ratios in many Universal Primary Education schools reaching between 1:58 and 1:60, compared to the recommended ratio of 1:45.
The party further warns that closing teacher training institutions across the country would make training less accessible, particularly for students from low-income families, due to increased travel and accommodation costs.
The FDC also criticised the proposed use of the Competence-Based Curriculum as justification for centralisation, saying the priority should instead be to retrain existing teachers and tutors in CBC teaching methods.
The party has called on Government to retain PTCs, NTCs and university-based teacher training while developing and enforcing a uniform national teacher training curriculum aligned with CBC.
It has also urged the Ministry to prioritise continuous professional development for teachers already in service, improve facilities at teacher training institutions, strengthen tutors’ welfare and remuneration, and conduct wider consultations before adopting the policy.
The FDC says uniformity in teacher education can be achieved through a common curriculum and stronger quality assurance without eliminating existing institutions.
