Public universities in Uganda are pushing back against the Ministry of Education’s proposal for a mandatory one-year teacher internship program.
These argue that it would impose a financial strain on institutions and overwhelm already overburdened headteachers.
Currently, teacher trainees undergo school practice twice: first as an internship after their second year, and then as part of their final year before graduation.
The proposed internship extension has not settled well among public universities, who instead recommend integrating school practice across the first three years of study, ensuring graduates are better equipped for teaching roles without the additional strain of a year-long internship.
The universities believe this approach would allow trainees to gain hands-on experience gradually while learning theory concurrently, thereby ensuring they are well-prepared to enter the workforce immediately after graduation.
Additionally, the public universities have highlighted the challenges faced by many institutions in affording the extra costs associated with running a full-year internship program, such as housing and allowances for the student teachers.
