UNITE Pioneers Sit First Semester Examinations Across All Campuses

The Uganda National Institute for Teacher Education (UNITE) today, 15th September 2025, marked yet another historic milestone as its pioneer cohort of students who were admitted in May intake commenced their first semester examinations across all campuses.

The atmosphere was charged with both excitement and determination as the trailblazing first cohort of this newly established institution took their seats in examination halls at Kabale, Kaliro, Mubende, Muni, and Unyama campuses.

UNITE was established on 5th July 2024 by Statutory Instrument No. 53 of 2024 under the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act (UOTIA), Cap 262, as an Other Degree Awarding Institution. Accredited by the Uganda National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), UNITE was created to address the growing demand for a specialised teacher training institution in Uganda. Its establishment was a direct response to the Teacher Initiative in Sub-Saharan Africa (TISSA) 2013 report and the National Teacher Policy (NTP) of 2019, which emphasized reforms in teacher education to improve quality and professionalism.

As a specialised institution offering only education programmes, UNITE focuses on competence-based and transformative education aimed at reshaping the teaching profession in Uganda. Its mandate is to coordinate and provide all levels of teacher education in the country, ranging from initial teacher training to graduate-level training, alongside in-service teacher training and Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programmes.

The programmes offered at UNITE integrate pedagogy with content mastery, making them unique compared to traditional institutions that primarily emphasize content alone, ensuring that graduates are not just effective educators but also subject specialists who can inspire and empower learners. The institute offers both pre-service and in-service training through a range of degree and diploma programmes. For degree programmes, pre-service students those joining directly from Senior Six study for three years, while in-service students already qualified teachers upgrading from a diploma to a degree complete their studies in two years. Diploma programmes, on the other hand, run for two years.

Degree Programmes

• Bachelor of Education Secondary, Science (Combinations: PHY/MTC; MATH/PE; BIO/PE; BIO/CHEM; MATH/BIO; PHY/CHEM; MATH/CHEM; PHY/ICT; MATH/ICT)
• Bachelor of Education Secondary, Arts (Combinations: KISWAHILI DOUBLE MAIN; ENG/LIT)
• Bachelor of Education Secondary, Vocational Studies
• Vocational Sciences (Technological Studies, Food Technology & Nutrition, ICT)
• Vocational Arts (Art & Design; Performing Arts)
• Bachelor of Education, Primary
• Bachelor of Education, Pre-Primary

Diploma Programmes

• Diploma in Education, Primary
• Diploma in Education, Pre-Primary

Today’s examinations are, therefore, not just an academic exercise but a historic validation of the government’s vision to produce highly skilled and professional teachers. They also represent a bold step forward in professionalising education and aligning teacher preparation with Uganda’s Competency-Based Curriculum.

The examinations rolled out smoothly across all campuses, with students expressing both pride and responsibility in being the first to write their names into UNITE’s history. As one pioneer student at Unyama Campus puts it:
“We are proud to be part of history. These exams are not just about passing, but about proving that we are ready to transform education in Uganda.”

As one academic leader, Assistant Academic Registrar Amos Olanya, noted, “This is more than just exams; it is history being written by the very first generation of UNITE students. Their success will lay the foundation for future cohorts and set the standard for teacher education in Uganda.”