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Teachers at one of the government aided schools in Ntungamo district at the official opening day for second term, 2024
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Monday, May 27th marks the official opening of all schools across the country for second term and parents from different parts have been seen escorting their children to school, while were busy doing a go back to school shopping.
The term opens at a time when teachers are still voicing concerns over the staggered implementation of the competence-based curriculum, saying the skipping of the primary and advanced levels poses a transitional challenge.
“We are worried with the way the curriculum is being implemented. The primary school is under the old curriculum, and the new curriculum is being implemented at the lower secondary level from s.1 to s.4,” said Deodat Aganyira, the former head teacher at St. Mary’s College Kisubi.
He added that at A level, they again have a new curriculum, which poses a serious challenge in transitioning from the old to the new curriculum.
Aganyira’s concern was re-echoed by Emmanuel Angoda of Lira Town College, who said that there was confusion among teachers who handle both O and A level students.
“I teach A-level, and we are looking forward to transitioning to the new curriculum next year, but we are now told that it will not be there,” Angoda revealed.
The new curriculum, introduced in 2020, aims to improve the quality of education in Uganda and prepare students for the job market.
While the government argues that this will help Uganda compete with other countries in terms of academic achievement, teachers are concerned that it will lead to a narrow focus on grades rather than holistic education.
"The old curriculum is too focused on academic achievement, and it neglects the other important aspects of education, such as social and emotional learning," said Pross Nantege, a teacher at Kalas Girls Primary School in Amudat district.
Teachers are also concerned that the new curriculum does not consider the unique needs of Ugandan children, as it was developed with the help of international experts who never considered Uganda’s cultural and social context.
“The curriculum is too Westernised and does not reflect the values and traditions of our society," said Joyce Achan Oryema, a teacher at Gulu Public Primary School in Gulu City.
She was concerned that the new curriculum would exacerbate the already existing challenges in schools, such as overcrowding, a lack of resources, and poor infrastructure.
The Ministry of Education launched a new lower competence-based assessment curriculum for primary teachers as part of implementing a new curriculum in schools, aimed at improving the quality of education in the country.
Dan Kyagaba the manager of the National Assessment of Progress in Education (NAPE), revealed that the new curriculum focuses on developing the competences of teachers in assessing students' performance in a more effective and reliable manner.
“The new curriculum is designed to equip teachers with the necessary skills and knowledge to assess students' competences in various subjects. It also emphasizes the use of authentic assessment tasks that reflect real-life situations rather than relying solely on written examinations," he explained.
He added that the new curriculum will also enable teachers to assess students' critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills, which are essential for success in the 21st century.
Martin Kananura, a retired teacher at Mbarara Municipal School, said the new curriculum is exactly what is needed to improve the quality of education.
Now the Vice Chairperson of the Board of Governors at Ntare School, Kananura, added that it will help teachers assess students' competences in a more comprehensive way.
Kananura suggests that students should be taught to reason, understand, analyse, and learn.
Proscovia Nantege, from Kalas Girls Primary School in Amudat district, revealed that they have been using such a curriculum at the nursery section, where learners are graded without simply giving positions.
“In competence-based assessment, it is difficult to score a zero, and this needs teachers to attend to learners as individuals through formative assessment,” she said.
The teachers agreed that the implementation of a new curriculum requires significant resources, including textbooks, teacher training, and infrastructure.
They also noted that some teachers, school administrators, and parents may be resistant to the new curriculum, preferring the traditional approach that they are familiar with, which will slow down the implementation.
