Day

By our reporter

www.mknewslink.com

In Kampala—

The government is in a process of phasing out Grade III and Grade V teaching qualifications in favor of a bachelor’s degree in Education.

The director of education standards at the Ministry of education, Mr Kedress Turyagyenda said the proposal is contained in a National Teachers Policy, which was approved in April this year by Cabinet.

She said the policy aims at, among others, upskilling teachers to bachelor’s degrees, and phasing out grade three and grade five teachers.

“As we are now, we have a variety of teachers as grade three, grade five and graduates that look at themselves as if they are different and yet they are all teachers. So the new policy says that lets first have a teacher and this shall be a process. As the process moves on, what happens to National teachers colleges and primary teachers colleges shall be worked out. The policy is to be finally implemented, it will be a phased thing and we will be able to take care of the different levels and still get the teachers that we want,” Mr Turyagyenda said.

She was speaking as chief guest during Teachers’ Day Celebrations for National Teachers’ Colleges-NTCs at NTC Kabale in Kabale district on Wednesday.

Ms Turyagyenda said that the policy will be implemented gradually after thorough consultations with all education stakeholders in order for it not to affect teachers who are already in service as well as existing core Primary Teacher’s Colleges and NTCs.

The general secretary Uganda National Teachers Union, Mr Filbert Baguma, said that the new policy will improve professionalism and welfare of teachers.

This came after principals of the NTCs at the same function asked government to establish a National Institute of Teacher Education to regulate activities and services of the five institutions in the country. The colleges are Kabale, Muni, Mubende, Kaliro and Unyama.

“We need to have a National Institute of Teacher Education to properly address our concerns like the Nurses Council addresses issues of the nurses,” Ms Daisy Aliwaru, the Principal NTC Muni who spoke on behalf of her colleagues, said.

She added, “The current Tertiary and Other Institutions Act of 2001 is not helping us at all. We are in between Kyambogo University which is our examination body and the ministry of education and sports that handles our policy issues. We need our own institution that directly regulates our services besides direct handling of our challenges.”

Celebrations were organized by Belgium government through Enabel, its development agency, and government of Uganda under the theme, ‘Young Teachers; the future of a profession.’

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By Felix Twinomugisha

www.mknewslink.com

In Ntungamo

The Ntungamo District in conjunction with Lions club has embarked on door to door sensitization on Measles- Rubella and Oral polio vaccination with hopes of attaining 100% in the forth coming National immunization exercise.

During the first Ntungamo District coordination meeting for October 2019 National Measles- Rubella and Oral polio vaccination campaign held in the district council hall today, the RDC George Bakunda asked all stakeholders to intensify awareness and crusades if the exercise is to be achieved in the District.

Bakunda warned to arrest the leaders and followers of mushrooming cults in sub counties of Kataraka in Nyakyeera, Rweikiniro, Ruhaama, Kibatsi and Rwamabondo who are against the polio campaign.

He argued public to cooperate with village chairpersons, village health teams and schools managers to identify the missing gaps such that it can rectify in order to have a successful Measles campaign.

In August 2017, police in Ntungamo arrested four people belonged to Engiri and other cults for allegedly hide their children against immunization outreach saying that Jesus Christ did not use any medicine but only prayer.

The parliamentary committee member on Health who is also woman MP Ntungamo District Hon. Beatrice Rwakimaari challenged people not to sabotage government health programs especially immunization of children under 5 years in the district.

Hon Rwakimaari appealed to all parents and guardians to take their children for measles- Rubella and polio campaign to their health.

The Ministry of health has planned to conduct a 5day national wide Measles-Rubella (Kigutiya) and oral vaccination campaign targeting children from birth to under 15 years.

All children under five years will be receiving oral polio vaccine while those between nine months and 15 years will receive Measles-Rubella vaccine.

The campaign is scheduled for Wednesday 16^th to Sunday 20^th October 2019 in all districts.