Kampala, Uganda | THE BLACK EXAMINER | The Uganda National Institute of Teacher Education (UNITE) has received formal approval from the National Council of Higher Education (NCHE) for its academic programs. Dr. Betty Ezati, Chairperson of UNITE’s establishment taskforce, confirmed this significant development, marking a crucial step in UNITE’s preparations to admit students starting next year.
“It’s a major milestone. We have received clearance, and soon the Ministry of Education will communicate the developments,” Ezati stated in an interview with a URN reporter.
Of the nine programs proposed by UNITE, seven have successfully obtained essential approval from the National Council of Higher Education. These programs are designed to cater to teachers at various educational levels, ranging from nursery to primary and secondary education.
The establishment of UNITE is part of the education ministry’s efforts to improve the quality of teachers and teacher education in Uganda. In line with the 2019 National Teacher Policy, which mandates that all teachers from pre-primary should have a minimum qualification of a Bachelor’s Degree, UNITE was created to take on a formal role in teacher education, a function previously informally held by Kyambogo University.
In 2020, the ministry formed a task force to assist in establishing the teacher’s institution, crafting programs, and creating a structural framework for the future teachers’ university. Delays in the process were primarily due to approvals from the NCHE and disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Denis Mugimba, the Ministry of Education Spokesperson, stated that the teachers’ institute will be operational and ready to admit students in July next year, coinciding with the new financial year.
Once established, UNITE will become another public degree-awarding institution, specializing in offering degree and postgraduate programs for teachers, teacher trainers, and related fields such as pedagogy, education management, and research.
UNITE, with its headquarters at Shimoni Core Primary Teacher’s College (PTC), will have campuses at five National Teacher Colleges located in Mubende, Kaliro, Arua, Gulu, and Kabale. Additionally, it will oversee the 23 primary teacher colleges unaffected by the government’s phase-out initiatives. Work is already underway at Shimoni to create office space and teaching facilities for the institution.
