The policy dictates that all in-service teachers without degrees have until August 2029 to upgrade their qualifications while those who will be 60 years by 2029 will be given leverage not to upgrade but should one bounce back in the profession as a contract teacher without a degree, they will not be allowed in a classroom.
While releasing the 2020 Grade III certificate examination results for primary teachers, the state minister for Primary Education, Dr Joyce Moriku Kaducu, said colleges should prioritise those upgrading to diploma level and those moving from diploma to degree level.
“The desire and aspiration are to have all our teachers at degree level for all levels of education. However, we shall do this strategically and every teacher should use this period to upgrade their qualification; otherwise, the rate at which events are unfolding in the teaching profession is very fast,” Kaducu said at the Office of the President Conference hall last week.
She added: “If you don’t act now, you may not fit in any system going forward. All teachers should use this opportunity to upgrade as soon as possible.”
Most colleges are now left with the 2021 intake of certificates and initial diplomas with relatively fewer students after the passing of the policy. At least 8,870 candidates from 60 centers were registered for the 2020 Grade III Teachers’ Certificate in Primary Education examinations. Of these, 4,980 were female and 3,890 were male. This is the third cohort of candidates sitting Grade III examinations after the review of the admission entry requirements.
A student must have six passes that include; a credit in both English Language and Mathematics and two science subjects from Agriculture, Biology, Physics, and Chemistry obtained at the same sitting of Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE).
Previously, colleges would also take on students that obtained only passes in English and Mathematics.
IMPROVED PERFORMANCE
The vice chancellor of Kyambogo University, Prof Eli Katunguka, attributed the overall improvement in the performance of candidates at 84.54 per cent to the review of entry requirements.
“We have been observing the trends in performance and we are glad to say that we have achieved the purpose of that change and report better performance compared to the previous years,” Katunguka said.
Out of the 8,870 candidates, at least 7,498 passed the examinations. Of these, 411 got distinction, 7,024 credits, 63 passes, 922 failed and are meant to repeat some papers, while 450 were ungraded.
The commissioner for Teacher Education, Training, and Development, Jonathan Kamwana, said: “For those who have failed, they have another two years to complete. In the 2021 last intake [for certificates and initial diplomas], in case some failures are registered, there will be another window of two years for them to repeat. This implies that after these four years in total, we shall not have any other certificate courses in education but only upgrading diplomas and degrees.”
If someone consistently fails yet the four-year period has elapsed, the students may appeal to the Kyambogo University leadership for redress.
TOP CANDIDATES, COLLEGES
The best candidate in the 2020 Grade III examinations was Samson Magezi from Bwera PTC in Kasese who obtained aggregate 10 out of the possible nine subjects with an A in school practice.
The overall best female candidate was Sophie Kyomuhangi from St Augustine PTC, Butiti in Kyenjojo with aggregate 11 and B in school practice. Both students received certificates of excellence at the examination release. The best-performing colleges with an overall pass of more than 90 per cent were; Bushenyi PTC, Rukungiri PTC, Kisoro PTC, Canon Lawrence PTC, Boroboro, St John Bosco PTC, Lodongo, and Canon Apollo PTC in Fort Portal.
The least-performing colleges – all privately-owned – which attained an overall pass below 50 per cent were; St Martin Deporres PTC in Pallisa, Butiru Christian PTC in Manafwa, and Margherita PTC in Kitgum.
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