Archbishop Kaziimba questions gov’t over closure of PTCs

LIRA-The Archbishop of Church of Uganda, the Most. Rev. Dr. Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu is not happy that government closed some of the Primary Teachers` Colleges [ PTCs ] in the country, urging those concerned to revisit a decision, which he said mainly targeted Church of Uganda-founded colleges.

Kaziimba was speaking on Thursday as he concluded his pastoral visit that took him four days in the Lango Sub-region where he said he was so sad over the closure of the colleges.

“I wonder because a person who is closing is targeting only the Church of Uganda-founded PTCs. There is a contradiction here because you cannot close a PTC [Canon Lawrence Teachers` College] where Late Archbishop Janani Luwum studied from,” he added.

“Archbishop Luwum was a public figure but he was killed by Iddi Amin because of his unquestionable faith in God,” he said.

At least 23 PTCs were closed indefinitely as the government officially phases out Grade III and Grade V teaching qualifications in favour of a bachelor’s degree in Education.

They were set to close indefinitely as the government phases out Grade III and Grade V teaching qualifications in favour of a bachelor’s degree in Education. The remaining 23 are core institutions that run both pre-and in-service programmes.

Government said the move would streamline, professionalise, and improve the quality of teacher education hatched in the 2019 National Teacher Policy. The policy requires that all teachers from pre-primary should have a minimum qualification of a bachelor’s degree.

It recommended the creation of the Uganda National Institute of Teacher Education-UNITE to take on the role of handling teacher education, which is currently under Kyambogo University.

Speaking in 202, Dr. Denis Magimba, the Ministry of Education and Sports spokesperson said non-core PTCs phased out would be repurposed by turning them into secondary schools, skilling centres, or technical institutions depending on the needs of the areas where they were established.

However, Dr Kazimba said it was wrong for government to shut down the institutions training people, parting knowledge and moulding the citizens of the country.

He suggested that instead of closing Canon Lawrence Teachers` college in Lira City, the Government should rescind its stand and upgrade into a core PTC.

https://thecooperator.news/archbishop-kaziimba-decries-gbv-teenage-pregnancies/

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