Parliament reacts on closure of Primary teacher’s colleges across the country.

Officials from ministry of education and sports found hard time to convince members of parliament sitting on the education committee of parliament on the closure of primary teachers colleges across the country.
Mps were concerned on how primary teachers colleges were closed without Consulting them as education committee.

Appearing before the education Committee of parliament,officials from ministry of education led by the state minister for Higher education Dr John Chrysestom Muyingo, the director for higher education in charge of technical vocational education training,Jane Egawu informed the committee, that the closure of 23 primary teachers colleges across the country was as a result of a 2 year study conducted by national planning authority in consultations with ministry of education.

Egawu said , the study recommended that primary teachers were too young and looked like their pupils and there was need for them to upgrade.

Egawu also informed the committee that the report also recommended that the quality of the primary teachers and the level of professionalism needed to be addressed.

This angered a section of members of parliament sitting on the education committee,including Woman member of parliament for Luwero district,Brenda Nabukenya,Geoffrey Macho of busia municipality,Connie Galiwango district woman representative for mbale district who disagreed with the report.
Egawu also told the committee,that of the 46 primary teachers colleges across the country,23 were closed and the other 23 colleges were repurposed into other institutions.

Joseph Ssewungu,member of parliament for Kalungu west also asked Egawu to explain to the committee on how they are transiting from primary teachers college to another form of institution.

The Fort portal woman Mp. Linda Irene further asked for special consideration by government for grade three teachers who cannot afford to pay for their school fees so as to upgrade to a diploma level.

However,Minister Muyingo also refuted allegations by Mp. Ssewungu that the country has a shortage of teachers.

Muyingo also asked the mps to study and understand the national teacher policy before making conclusions.

By Namagembe Joweria