Four years ago, Uganda introduced a competency-based and learner-centred curriculum for lower secondary education. This shift from a traditional, theory-heavy curriculum to a dynamic, skills- and competencies-focused framework was bold.
The revised curriculum, as designed by the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC), promises to upgrade the teaching and assessment methods, equip students with lifelong skills, and, most importantly, inspire them to reach their full potential, shaping a brighter future for education in Uganda.
The first cohort to study under the revised curriculum will sit their senior four exams this month. However, questions abound about whether the key stakeholders and the country are ready for the outcomes, whether the cascade model of retooling teachers worked, whether learners have been well prepared and benefited from the new curriculum, and most importantly, whether parents, as integral stakeholders, are on board and playing their part in this transformative journey.
Before the rollout of the revised lower secondary curriculum in 2020, the government, through NCDC, trained 35% of the in-service teachers, and these were expected to train the remaining 65% of teachers through the cascade model arrangement.
According to a mini survey by the Economic Policy Research Centre in May 2024, the NCDC has done its part of re-training teachers to be “master trainers” and implementors. However, the training was deemed insufficient and too generalised to equip teachers to implement the competence-based curriculum adequately.
The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) is also under scrutiny for delaying training on assessment and awarding of scores. This delay has left teachers confused for over 3 years, with UNEB only in the field a few months before the exams in May 2024.
The revised curriculum is ICT-heavy. The Ministry of Education and Sports (MOES) ‘s role of ensuring sufficient educational materials such as textbooks, computers, internet access, and other infrastructure remains wanting. Many schools did not receive enough textbooks for some subjects. More notably, most schools lack functional computers and internet access, yet these are the main ingredients of the revised curriculum.
Parents were not brought on board. This responsibility was left to the schools and has proven challenging. Parents do not understand the essence of the revised curriculum; they do not understand the assessment used and often ask teachers to use the old report card structure, creating more work for teachers. In addition, parents are not willing and/or able to financially support their children, especially with the necessary materials for project works and research, yet this is a costly curriculum to implement and requires the support of all stakeholders.
Despite these shortcomings, teachers have soldiered on with the implementation of the revised curriculum. They have facilitated integration, project work, and research activities, although they remain worried about assessment of students work. Teachers still require continuous subject-specific training to ensure that all aspects of the revised curriculum are implemented effectively to benefit the learners.
For learners, the revised curriculum gives them self-confidence to express their ideas without fear, share knowledge, and work in groups rather than depend entirely on teachers. Making their notes through research has helped learners become self-driven, innovative and confident. In addition, project work has exposed learners to practical skills that are useful for solving daily problems, and as such, they feel ready for the exams and are confident that the outcomes will be positive.
All this amidst myriads of challenges, especially concerning research – they lack access to computers and the internet, yet the textbooks are inadequate. Limited parental involvement has forced learners to opt for projects requiring less or no money, hindering their innovativeness.
The implementation of Uganda’s revised lower secondary curriculum holds great promise for equipping students with essential skills and competencies required for the evolving world of work. However, the current situation demands immediate and decisive action from the key stakeholders (UNEB, NCDC, MOES and parents). This is imperative to overcome the existing hurdles and unlock the full potential of the revised curriculum. Crucial steps include prioritising continuous and subject-specific teacher training, ensuring adequate funding for educational materials, and engaging parents through targeted awareness campaigns. This will pave the way for a more effective education system that endows young people in Uganda with the skills and knowledge they need.
Blessing Atwine is a research analyst at EPRC & Madina Guloba is a senior research fellow at EPRC, Makerere University.
This blog was first published in Observer Newspaper on October 30, 2024