Implementation of Scheme of Service Policy and Retention of Teachers in Universal Primary Education, Mbarara City, Uganda

This study investigated the effect of the implementation of the scheme of service policy and retention of teachers in universal primary education in Mbarara City. Particularly, the study investigated whether implementation of the scheme of service policy through promotion, training, and professional development had an influence on teacher retention. A cross-sectional research survey design using quantitative methods was used to collect and analyse data. The study included 260 participants who included head teachers, teachers, principal education officers, and City inspectors of schools. Data were collected using a questionnaire survey. The use of descriptive statistics and multiple regression helped in the analysis of quantitative data. The results indicated that training practices significantly affected the retention of teachers, while professional development practices had a positive but insignificant effect. Additionally, promotional practices had a negative and insignificant effect on teacher retention. The scheme of service policy was found not to be fully implemented as teachers were not promoted to different levels in time, and training and development were not fully done. In the normal setting, teacher promotion should follow ladders starting from teaching assistant II, senior education assistant II, Deputy Head teacher, and then Head teacher. Teacher training and development programs should be consistently conducted. The Scheme of Service Policy was found to be an important policy regarding retention of teachers and a basis for the study findings. The study findings recommend that school managers in all Universal Primary Education schools should put in place teacher training plans, since training practices were found to be the most important aspects of the Scheme of Service Policy that increase their retention