Parliament has passed the National Teachers Act 2024, a new law designed to regulate, train, guide, and monitor the conduct of teachers across Uganda.
The legislation establishes stricter professional standards, including a requirement that every teacher must hold at least a bachelor’s degree alongside a valid teaching certificate in order to practise.
The Act builds on proposals first outlined in the 2019 National Teachers Policy, which was approved by Cabinet, and now gives legal backing to long-planned reforms in the education sector.
A key feature of the law is the creation of a National Teachers Council, which will be responsible for registering and licensing teachers, enforcing discipline, and monitoring professional competence.
The council will also address persistent challenges such as teacher absenteeism in schools.
Under the new framework, all teachers will be required to obtain a practising certificate issued by the council. The certificate will be renewable every four years and may be withdrawn in cases of misconduct or breach of professional standards.
The law also provides for a transition period for teachers who currently do not meet the degree requirement. Through Continuous Professional Development programmes, such teachers will be supported by government to upgrade their qualifications while remaining in service.
According to the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Education and Sports, James Kubeketerya, the Act introduces wide-ranging reforms intended to strengthen professionalism in the teaching sector.
“These include mandatory registration of all teachers, certification requirements, and the introduction of internship programmes for teachers,” he said.
The National Teachers Council will work closely with the National Council for Higher Education to issue teaching certificates and ensure adherence to national professional standards.
The law further provides that individuals without valid teaching certificates will not be allowed to teach in Uganda.
The Act applies across pre-primary, primary, and secondary education levels. However, teachers in universities and other tertiary institutions will continue to be regulated under the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act.
The reforms are expected to significantly reshape Uganda’s education sector by tightening regulation, improving teacher training standards, and enhancing accountability in schools nationwide.
