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Mrs Janet Museveni, presented the transitional curriculum proposal to Cabinet
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By Our Reporter
The government has introduced a transitional plan to bridge the gap between Uganda's new lower secondary curriculum and the existing A’ Level curriculum, set to operate for four years. The Ministry of Education will deploy a transitional curriculum, streamlined from the current A’ Level curriculum, to address resource constraints that have delayed a complete overhaul. The transitional curriculum will run until 2028, starting with the current Senior One cohort, which will be the last to use it.
Details of the transitional curriculum
An official from the Ministry of Education explained that the National Curriculum Development Center (NCDC) has been tasked with condensing the current curriculum by removing outdated content and redundancies. This modified curriculum will shift to a competence-based approach, similar to the new O’ Level curriculum, while retaining essential topics necessary for university preparation.
For example, the topic on Mole Concept in Chemistry, removed from O’ Level to be covered in A’ Level, will be incorporated into the transitional curriculum.
Once the content is finalized, the ministry will begin training A’ Level teachers in the new methodology and objectives.
Cabinet’s approval
Minister of ICT and National Guidance, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, confirmed that First Lady and Minister of Education, Mrs Janet Museveni, presented the transitional curriculum proposal to Cabinet. Baryomunsi explained that the plan will ensure a smooth transition for students moving from the practical, experience-based O’ Level curriculum to A’level.
Baryomunsi explained that the plan will ensure a smooth transition
Why a transitional curriculum?
According to Dr. Denis Mugimba, spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, a full-scale A’level curriculum revision was paused due to limited resources. The transitional curriculum enables continuity in teaching methodology from O’level to A’level without compromising academic quality.
"This is an abridged version of the current A’ Level, with obsolete content and redundancies removed. We’re not introducing new textbooks for this curriculum as it draws on the existing syllabus," Mugimba explained. He added that the estimated cost of sh7 billion will largely cover teacher training.
Earlier plans paused
Originally, the government aimed to roll out a new competence-based A’ Level curriculum in 2025, reducing the number of subjects from 40 to 25, but limited resources prompted a pause. At the 2023 UCE results release, Mrs. Museveni indicated that re-allocating funds to another extensive curriculum review could destabilize the entire education sector. She affirmed that using the existing A’ Level curriculum would not compromise students’ subject combinations or academic foundations, allowing the Ministry to focus resources on the ongoing implementation of the lower secondary reforms.
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