Mixed reactions as NTCs face closure
By Yasser Kalyango
May 3 - 9, 2004
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KAMPALA- The alumni of some National Teachers� Colleges (NTCs) may soon have no institutions to be proud of. This is because government is to close down some NTCs. �We shall automatically phase out those National Teachers Colleges. It�s a government policy,� said Ms Beatrice Wabudeya, the minister of State in-charge of for higher education. NTCs mainly train Grade V or teachers with diploma certificates.
According to the report only four NTCs would be spared, one in each of the four regions. The impeding closure affects prominent NTCs like Kaliro, Kakoba, Masindi and Arua. The report states that the phasing out of the colleges is due to the big numbers of Grade V teachers who cannot be absorbed in the job market and financial constraints the colleges are facing. Wabudeya reiterates that the ever-increasing big numbers of diploma holders is the major reason that these NTCs are being scrapped. The only colleges to be spared are Nagongera NTC in the eastern region, Kabale NTC in the west, Mubende NTC in the central and Unyama in northern Uganda. �We have very many Diploma holders, the job market cannot absorb these ever increasing big numbers. It is just too much, we are remaining with a few that we can fully fund,� Wabudeya said.
She added that even if the proposed Universal Secondary Education were to start this year, there would still be too many teachers for the program. She said that the demand for teachers with a degree is high since most of the secondary schools coming up now are mostly privately owned. Wabudeya said that most upcoming secondary schools want to employ teachers who have a degree to help them compete with others. She also said that the closure is part of the government�s plan to create jobs for the already existing graduate teachers and to improve welfare of teachers in the field. �Everything is under control, a lot has been said about the welfare of the teachers in the country. Phasing out NTCs is one way of controlling the increasing numbers. If these diploma teachers are out, obviously we shall reduce the number of the unemployed graduate teachers,� Wabudeya said. The NTC�s see the move as unfriendly. For them, the closure is not the best way of reducing the number of teachers. Ms Kellen Mwesigye, the director of Kakoba NTC says that government had not consulted other stakeholders. �We are the biggest stake holders, we feel we have been left out. The ministry should have discussed the issue with all the stake holders, you can�t believe it� the morale has since gone down ever since the issue was raised in the press,� she said. Mwesigye said that Kakoba does not have the financial problems as government alleges and that if they do have, they are like any other government institutions, which are cash strapped. �Even Makerere has financial problems, so that cannot be the reason why the biggest teachers centre in the Western region is closed. These things should be discussed at a high level. People are bitter about the move to close Kakoba,� she said. Masindi NTC is equally unhappy. According to Mr Vigilious Egunu, the principal of Masindi NTC, other than close the NTCs that have a long history, government should consider using other ways of solving the problem. �Every one has been concerned about the issue of closing Masindi NTC. Unlike other institutions that are to be closed, Masindi NTC is the only one without a university. Government should first approve the proposed Bunyoro Kitara University and then they can think about closing the only one we have in the region,� Egunu said. He added that government has to compensate the people of Masindi if it is to close the institution that has been there for over 60 years. Masindi NTC produces 600 teachers with diplomas and 300 Grade III teachers every year. Some education experts however share the same view with the government. They believe that the closure of NTCs is overdue. �The closure is a very wise decision, in my view it is a wise and professional idea, rather late though,� said Prof. Kupuliano Odaet of Makerere University�s school of education. According to Odaet, also former dean of education at Makerere, the country has many universities producing teachers at a graduate level. �Why produce so many lower level teachers for secondary education when teachers from university could do the job?� he asked. He suggested that government could also reduce the number of unemployed graduate teachers by building model secondary schools in every sub county. �The need is greater because of the pressure from the Universal Primary Education. If those model schools are put up then we won�t have problems with unemployed graduates,� Odaet said. He also said that Government should plan manpower production in all educational institutions. �You cannot absorb everyone in the education sector. People should try other courses so as to have a balanced production, and that cannot come in one day. Government should set up a man power policy plan to achieve this and get rid of the imbalances in courses,� he said. |
� 2004 The Monitor Publications
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