750 secondary school teachers to benefit from govt ICT upskilling initiative
The launch of the programme comes shortly after a similar initiative by the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU), which earlier this year began a nationwide campaign to address ICT skill gaps among teachers.
Baguma noted that during the TMIS registration exercise, many teachers were forced to rely on tech-savvy youth just to create email accounts and navigate the system—further underlining the urgent need for foundational digital skills.
By John Masaba
Journalists @New Vision
A nationwide programme to equip secondary school teachers with essential digital skills, part of a broader effort to prepare learners for Uganda’s fast-evolving digital economy, has been launched.
Dubbed the ICT Retooling Programme, the Government-led initiative kicked off on Monday, August 25, 2025, with the training of 750 teachers from Moroto, Fort Portal, and Mbarara.
Participants are receiving hands-on instruction in digital literacy, cybersecurity, and educational technologies such as Google Workspace, Moodle, and Canva.
“This is more than just training; it’s about transforming classrooms and preparing students for a digital future,” the Uganda Institute of Information and Communications Technology (UICT), which is undertaking the initiative in partnership with the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) and the education ministry, said in a statement on August 28.
The programme aims to develop a network of digital teacher champions: Educators who will lead ICT clubs, support peer learning, and drive digital integration within their schools.
The rollout aligns with Uganda’s digital transformation roadmap, which targets full integration of ICT across all sectors by 2040.
Although Uganda has made progress in expanding internet access and mobile phone usage, a significant digital divide remains in education, especially in rural areas where many teachers lack even basic ICT knowledge.
To bridge this gap, the programme uses a train-the-trainer model, enabling participating teachers not only to adopt digital tools themselves but also to pass on their skills to colleagues and students, creating a ripple effect of digital empowerment across the education sector.
The launch of the programme comes shortly after a similar initiative by the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU), which earlier this year began a nationwide campaign to address ICT skill gaps among teachers.
“We got a clear picture of the current situation,” UNATU secretary general Filbert Baguma said.
“One of the key ways to improve teacher quality in Uganda is by aligning them with the evolving educational landscape, where integrating ICT is no longer optional.”
UNATU’s training sessions focused on basic digital tools such as Microsoft Word and Excel. Many of the teachers, especially those trained decades ago, still face difficulties with fundamental digital tasks—including sending emails, accessing online teaching resources, and using government platforms like the Teacher Management Information System (TMIS).
Baguma noted that during the TMIS registration exercise, many teachers were forced to rely on tech-savvy youth just to create email accounts and navigate the system—further underlining the urgent need for foundational digital skills.