The teachers we need for the education we want

Almost everyone you ask can mention a teacher whose contribution changed the trajectory of their life for the better. 

Henry Adams’ statement that “Teachers affect eternity; no one can tell where their influence stops” truly captures the influence teachers have, one child at a time. 

Teachers are resource persons in our communities, our children spend more time with them, and they inspire and shape their dreams. Yesterday we celebrated them as we marked World Teachers Day.

However, many teachers in Uganda are struggling with various issues that undermine their profession and work, and unfortunately many learners end up separated from their trusted teachers who opt to leave the schools where they are deployed. 

If we cannot attract and keep teachers and support them to do their work well, the effect could be disastrous to our nation, affecting one child at a time.

In 2019, Uganda took a positive step towards addressing the challenge of teacher quality by developing and launching the National Teacher Policy.

The policy aims to provide a comprehensive framework for the professionalization and standardization of the teaching profession and to enhance the development and management of teachers in the education sector. 

The policy focuses on standards and qualifications, training, management, and cross-cutting issues. The policy has the potential to transform the teaching profession and the education system in Uganda.

Conversely, its successful implementation requires adequate and sustained resources. It is vital that the government and its development partners invest now in the policy to ensure its effective operationalization and monitoring. Investing in the policy is the most sustainable option to invest in education in the long term.

In the context of the learning crisis/ teacher shortages, more pronounced in certain contexts like refugee hosting districts than others, there is urgent need to invest in the getting more teachers and address the issues that affect motivation and retention of teachers we already have, such as irregular salaries, short-term contracts or lack of contracts, especially in non-public schools; poor working conditions, ranging from accommodation to opportunities for continuous professional development, and overall wellbeing challenges associated with their work; and rationalization of teachers, so that the workload is optimal.

Overall, there is also an imbalance in the distribution of teachers across subjects (science, mathematics, and languages) and regions (some remote and conflict-affected areas).

The shortage of teachers is not only a matter of quantity, but also of quality and wellbeing. Failure to prioritise them in resource allocation creates negative impacts on the quality of teaching and learning outcomes and creates emotional and learning disruption.

They also contribute to the high attrition rate of teachers, which exacerbates the teacher shortage problem and ability to implement quality education intervention.

Let us celebrate the teachers we have, rally support for them, appreciate their efforts and achievements and acknowledge their challenges and needs by investing in all aspects that operationalise the National Teacher Policy.
 
Mr  Wycliffe Nsheka is the country cirector of Finn Church Aid Uganda.