KAMPALA, Uganda — Parliament passed the National Teachers Bill, 2024, a major legislative shift aimed at professionalizing and regulating the country’s teaching workforce.
The bill seeks to operationalize the National Teachers’ Policy adopted by Cabinet in 2019 by embedding its provisions into law. It introduces a comprehensive regulatory framework to standardize teacher training, registration, licensing and professional conduct.
Lawmakers approved the bill during a plenary session presided over by Speaker Anita Among on Thursday, April 23, 2026.
State Minister for Higher Education John Chrysostom Muyingo said the law, once enacted, will establish a statutory body called the National Teachers Council. The council is mandated to oversee teacher registration and licensing, enforce ethical standards and administer disciplinary procedures.
The bill comes amid persistent challenges in Uganda’s education sector, said Jonathan Odur of the Uganda People’s Congress, who represents Erute County South.
“This bill will address teacher absenteeism, weak professional standards, low qualifications and limited oversight mechanisms,” Odur said.
Although the Education (Pre-Primary, Primary and Post-Primary) Act of 2008 provides for teacher registration and licensing, Odur argued it lacks “a coherent institutional framework to regulate the profession comprehensively.”
Nathan Nandala Mafabi of the Forum for Democratic Change, who represents Budadiri West County, said the new law aims to close these gaps by consolidating scattered provisions into a single, robust legal regime.
“It also aligns with broader public sector reforms, including the phasing out of certain administrative positions that previously created ambiguities in teacher management,” Mafabi said.
James Kubeketerya, chairperson of the Committee on Education and Sports, outlined several far-reaching reforms in the bill, including mandatory registration and licensing, a teacher internship program and continuous professional development.
“All teachers will be required to register with the National Teachers Council and obtain a valid teaching license before practicing,” Kubeketerya said.
He added that the bill provides for collaboration between the proposed council and the National Council for Higher Education in accrediting teacher training programs.
The committee noted that the bill would “promote, maintain and protect ethical standards” while providing a clear institutional framework for teacher management.
The bill will be forwarded to the president for assent.
