The government is moving to establish a National Teacher Council to strengthen professional standards, accountability and the status of teaching as a profession.
The council is expected to provide professional oversight of teachers, including strengthening standards, recognition and accountability within the teaching profession.
The development was announced by the Acting Minister of Education and Sports, Dr John C. Muyingo, in his World Teachers’ Day 2026 message issued on October 5.
“Government is in the process of establishing a National Teacher Council,” Muyingo said, adding that the council, once established, will contribute to the professionalisation and effective oversight of the teaching profession.
He said the council would strengthen professional standards, recognition, accountability and the overall status of teaching as a profession.
The proposed council is part of a wider government programme to reform teacher preparation, professional development, welfare and accountability.
Muyingo said the government had also established the Uganda National Institute for Teacher Education (UNITE), a dedicated national institution responsible for strengthening initial teacher education and continuous professional development.
“We expect UNITE to contribute significantly to improving the quality and consistency of teacher preparation in Uganda and to supporting teachers throughout their careers,” he said.
The government, he added, was committed to providing UNITE with the resources, institutional capacity and professional leadership required to fulfil its mandate.
The reforms come amid changes in Uganda’s education system, including the implementation of the competence-based curriculum, which requires teachers to focus more on learners’ ability to apply knowledge and skills rather than merely reproduce information in examinations.
Muyingo said the new approach places additional demands on teachers, who must facilitate learning, develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, integrate technology, assess competencies and create classrooms where learners actively participate.
“This transition therefore requires corresponding investment in teacher preparation and continuous professional development,” he said.
The government is also rationalising teacher training institutions, a process Muyingo said should not be viewed simply as a reduction in the number of institutions.
He said the objective was to create a teacher education system that is better coordinated, adequately resourced and capable of producing teachers with the competencies required by the changing education system.
On teachers’ welfare, Muyingo reaffirmed the government’s commitment to progressively enhancing their remuneration.
He said the 2026/27 financial year budget provides for salary enhancement for primary teachers and arts teachers in secondary schools, alongside other public officers, as part of the wider phased public-sector pay reform.
“Teacher salary enhancement will continue to be implemented in a phased manner,” Muyingo said, noting that salary reforms must remain fiscally sustainable and consistent with the broader public service pay structure.
However, the minister also challenged teachers to reciprocate the government’s investment through professionalism, commitment, integrity and effective teaching.
The government is strengthening accountability through the Teacher Effectiveness and Learner Achievement (TELA) initiative, which Muyingo said is intended to improve teacher attendance and time on task.
He said TELA should not be viewed merely as a mechanism for punishing teachers, but as a management tool for identifying gaps, sharing best practices and improving learning outcomes at school and local government levels.
Muyingo commended teachers and education leaders who had demonstrated good performance under the system and called for support for schools and teachers struggling to meet expected standards.
He said teachers whose poor performance results from inadequate skills should receive professional support and targeted development, while negligence, absenteeism and failure to fulfil professional responsibilities should attract appropriate accountability measures.
“We cannot invest in teachers and then accept persistent failure to deliver the education that our children deserve,” he said.
The government also faces the challenge of preparing teachers for emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, as well as climate change, migration, displacement and increasingly diverse classrooms.
Muyingo said technology should complement rather than replace teachers.
“It is a known fact that technology will never replace the teacher,” he said, arguing that teachers remain responsible for guiding, inspiring, mentoring, assessing and counselling learners and modelling social values.
As Uganda marked World Teachers’ Day under the UNESCO theme, “Standing with teachers: 60 years of protecting the profession, advancing its status and shaping our futures,” Muyingo said the government’s reforms were intended to ensure teachers are better prepared and supported throughout their careers.
He also called on teachers to uphold professional ethics, respect learners, attend to duty, prepare adequately and use instructional time effectively.
“Your work matters; your profession matters; and Uganda’s future depends, in no small measure, on the quality of the work you do today,” Muyingo said.
