BY NED GAGAHE
The Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development (MEHRD) is urging education providers in the country and stakeholders to comply with the Education Act 2023.
The Education Act 2023, effective from January 1, 2024, mandates strict adherence to registration requirements for educational institutions and teachers alike.
Speaking during the MEHRD’s Tok Story session on SIBC on the socialization and implementation of the Education Act 2023 this week, Christina Bakolo, Policy Analyst and Team Leader at MEHRD, emphasized the importance of adhering to the Education Act 2023.
“Now that Education Act 2023 is being implemented or enforced education providers, teachers, school leader and other stakeholders who are implicated by the education act should now comply with the provisions provided in the act.
Mrs Bakolo highlighted key directives for education providers, stressing the need for registration of all owned or operated schools, including new ECE centers, primary, and secondary schools.
“The education providers are expected to register all the schools they own or they operate, that is if they have not registered yet, they are new ECE centres, primary schools or secondary schools. Education providers are not expected to register their schools if they have already registered them.
Bakolo stated that newly recruited teachers must apply for registration using forms available at the Ministry of Education.
“Education providers must make sure that new teachers whom they recruited at the beginning of this year and are teaching in the schools should be registered. The new teachers must apply to become registered teachers.
“There is a teachers registration application form which is available now in the ministry that new teachers must complete. MEHRD can supply the teacher registration forms to the education providers on request. Please contact the officer in charge at the Teaching Service Division.
She further urged ongoing teachers without registration certificates to complete the registration process within the stipulated two-year transition period ending January 1, 2025.
“Ongoing teachers who have already registered and have been issued with their registration certificate need not apply to become a registered teacher, however, if you are an ongoing teacher and has been teaching for some years but have not yet obtain a teacher registration certificate, you would need to complete the teacher registration application form.
Bakolo appealed to education providers to support teachers in obtaining necessary qualifications and ensure compliance with the Act’s provisions.
“Let me reiterate and appeal to education providers. Education providers are reminded that teachers who are teaching in their schools currently but do not have full registration as a teacher must endeavored to support the teachers so that they can obtain their teaching qualification or complete the teacher registration process.
“Education providers must support their teachers who have other qualification but not teaching qualification to ensure they acquired their teaching qualifications.
“Ensure that all teachers are registered and teacher registration process within the two-year transition period that is currently allowed under the Education Act 2023 for teacher registration which is effective from 1st January 2024 to 1st January 2025.” Bakolo said.
