Educationists have called on the government to reconsider plans to make the Uganda National Institute for Teacher Education (UNITE) the sole provider of teacher education in the country, warning that no single institution possesses the capacity to meet the national demand for qualified educators.
Speaking on the sidelines of the seventh graduation ceremony of the Luigi Giussani Institute of Higher Education (LGIHE) in Kampala last week, LGIHE Principal Ms Stella Rose Akongo argued that producing the calibre and volume of teachers Uganda needs requires collaborative efforts from all accredited training institutions.
Her remarks follow proposals under the National Teacher Policy 2019 to give UNITE exclusive mandate over initial teacher education and Continuous Professional Development (CPD) in a bid to harmonise teacher training nationwide.
Ms Akongo urged the Ministry of Education and Sports to maintain an open field governed by strict regulatory oversight rather than restricting teacher training to a single entity.
“Luigi alone cannot train all the teachers that Uganda needs, nor can Makerere alone train all the teachers the nation requires,” Ms Akongo said. “I believe teacher training should be an open call to the entire nation and institutions that are training teachers.”
She questioned whether UNITE’s five campuses—located in Kabale, Kaliro, Mubende, Arua (Muni), and Gulu (Unyama)—could realistically train the hundreds of thousands of teachers needed by the school system.
Instead of centralization, Ms Akongo recommended that the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) enforce strong quality control measures and minimum standards across all training centers to ensure uniformity and excellence.
The debate stems from reforms embedded in the National Teacher Policy 2019, which are currently being integrated into the draft National Higher Education Policy.
Ministry of Education Spokesperson Dr Dennis Mugimba explained that the shift in mandate away from public and private universities aims to correct fragmented training methods that currently impact classroom delivery.
Dr Mugimba noted that once Cabinet approves the Higher Education Policy, the Ministry will move to amend the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act to solidify UNITE’s sole mandate over teacher education.
Established through Statutory Instrument No. 53 of 2024, UNITE operates from its headquarters at the former Shimoni Core Primary Teachers’ College in Kira Municipality.
However, labour unions have also raised concerns over the proposed monopoly. Mr Aron Mugaiga, Secretary General of the Uganda Professional Teachers Union (UPSTU), pointed out that over 15,000 student teachers are currently enrolled in various tertiary institutions across the country. He questioned whether UNITE has the physical and operational capacity to absorb those students alongside the teaching staff currently employed in existing university education departments.