According to a nationwide validation exercise conducted by the Education Service Commission, government-aided secondary and tertiary education institutions in Uganda are racing against time to replace about 5,000 teachers and non-teaching staff nearing retirement. The validation exercise was conducted between November 2021 and April 2022 in 1,600 different secondary and tertiary institutions across the country and covered 38,787 teachers and support staff.

This exercise revealed that six out of every ten teachers (22,457 of those validated) are above 40 years old. Of these, 4,940 are above 50 years old and nearing retirement. The government employs a total of 365,982 teachers and non-teaching staff in the secondary and tertiary education institutions it supports.

It is crucial for the government to plan ahead for the replacement of retiring teachers with individuals of equal calibre and experience. This is because experienced and highly trained teachers play a vital role in shaping the future of students.

Please note that this information is based on the results of the nationwide validation exercise conducted by the Education Service Commission. We continue to commend all councilors and duty bearers and project stakeholders for achieving another milestone of policy change and transparency and accountability in the education sector.