Teacher absenteeism constitutes a significant barrier to achieving learning outcomes in many low- and middle-income countries, where teacher school absence rates range from 3 to 27 per cent. In Uganda, primary education has achieved several milestones resulting in significant gains, including over 90 per cent literacy rate throughout the different districts, 94 per cent of the teaching force trained, and ongoing commitment from the MoES toward enhancing the provision of education. The country has also achieved gender parity in primary school enrolments, which in 2016 was at 84.1 per cent for girls and 83.3 per cent for boys. The Government’s recognition of the centrality of teachers within this system is another positive gain, legitimated recently through the establishment of the National Teacher Policy (NTP) document and development of the Teacher Incentive Framework (TIF). There are, however, ongoing challenges that put pressures on current gains and future goals. UNICEF Uganda estimates at least 60 per cent of Ugandan teachers are not present in the classroom at half of all public schools. Regional observations indicate teacher absence is a much larger issue in Uganda than other neighbouring countries, and that their subject knowledge is lower, comparatively. This is especially concerning because pupil drop-out and repetition are also high among primary pupils, resulting in additional constraints with socio-economic implications. Also, the national budget for education — at 11 per cent in 2016 — was found to be the lowest among other countries in the region. In 2018, this was reduced further to 10.5 per cent, demonstrating that national resources are limited. The Time to Teach (TTT) study seeks to support the ministry in its efforts to strengthen teachers’ role in the school in order to increase their time on task. Its primary objective is to identify factors affecting the various dimensions of primary school teacher attendance and to use this evidence to inform the design and implementation of teacher policies. Specifically, the study looks at four distinct dimensions of teacher attendance: being in school, being punctual (i.e. not arriving late/leaving early), being in the classroom (while in school), and spending sufficient time on task (while in the classroom). TTT is a mixed-methods project, employing both qualitative and quantitative research tools. The study draws from national, system-wide, qualitative data collections and school observations, and a quantitative survey of 193 teachers working in 20 purposely selected primary schools.