The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Members of Parliament want the new Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) curriculum halted over concerns that vital subjects have been made optional, and that wide consultations have not been done.
The Ministry of Education through the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC), has revised the curriculum scrapping off termly exams and replacing it with projects that students will do at every end of the topic.
Teachers will then be required to take note of students’ progress before any other topic is introduced. However, teachers will be administering end of year exams in order to give feedback to parents and guardians.
Among the compulsory education is History and Political science, Kiswahili and Physical education for senior one and two, while Agriculture and fine art are electives. For senior 3 and four, History and political science is compulsory, and Agriculture is an elective.
Now addressing a press conference at Parliament, the MPs say Agriculture should be made compulsory and subjects like Kiswahili be made electives. They also want parents, education experts, teachers and children organisations be involved in this exercise.
Kalungu West MP Joseph Sewungu faulted the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) for implementing a curriculum without the teaching aids like text books and enough trained teachers for each subject.
“We are praying that this curriculum be halted first, we first look at it. You cannot make agriculture an elective subject and yet Uganda’s economic backbone. You cannot start a curriculum without text books to use – without teaching aids,” Sewungu said.
Moses Kasibante, the Rubaga North MP says instead of Kiswahili, the Ministry should look at Arabic and Chinese mandarin which is widely spoken and also since many Ugandans will need it in the future.
He says Government needs to do an assessment on the schools and their fields or grounds for physical activities before setting up a new curriculum. He says Agriculture is the backbone of the country and should be made compulsory.
Luttamaguzi Ssemakula, the Nakaseke South MP says there are not enough Kiswahili teachers in the country, and therefore making it compulsory and leaving the local language is disastrous.
He says Government should not rush into having this new curriculum, but link it to University and higher institution education among others.
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I agre with Joseph Sewungu how can u make Agriculture Optional when 80% of Ugandans depends on agriculture both directly and indirectly.
Our students in villages walk more than 5km to schools and so they may not need P.E as a compulsory subject at the expense of agriculture
Then what about those staying in school? The hostelers do they walk 5km too while in bed? Common sense!
What about those who move in school vans and boda bodas ?
I second your point. Agriculture is one of the most earned income atleast people can get involved in different farming activities but also I agree with Kiswahili being compulsory because as agriculture is being promoted international wide Swahili is needed thank you
In reference to the East African community we are in, Kiswahili MUST be compulsory. Thanks for NCDC.
Hon. Ruttamaguzi and other members of your understanding being on opposition does not mean that you even oppose right things don’t make stupid arguments. Your are not the only wise person than those in NCDC. Don’t put politics in education. Opposition does not mean to oppose everything
Making policies(imposing Swahili) that have a long-term implications basing on short term issues (East African Community) is irrational.
East Africa Communityb(EAC) project is a Museveni pet project and likely to die with his loss of power & influence in Uganda.
The signs are on the wall, Tanzania-some could argue the most important member of EAC- is very non-committal to real integration. With it’s membership in SADC and failure to implement many of the provisions of EAC treaties signaling this.
Kenya another important member is also only committed to EAC only if it’s interests are met i.e Kenya is dominant versus the the other members and extracts as much benefits and gives as minimal as possible which is not viable approach to proper integration.
Uganda interests in EAC are more less based in a single person, Museveni, who seems to have grandiose dreams of creating and leading an African Superpower even if this is to the detriment of Uganda.
As for the belief that Swahili will drive and foster birth of a new nation, the proponents of this are mistaken.
There are many examples to illustrate this but two should suffice:
– Somalia is fractured failed country despite speaking a single language. And the single language of somali isnt/wasn’t enough to stop the forces -such as clannism-pulling it apart.
-In Kenya despite the imposition of swahili,the longterm continued unity of Kenya is doubtful with Kenya practically split into four countries that on occasion demand independence.
With a proper investigation of the claimed benefits of Swahili against the cost of imposing Swahili will make it clear that Swahili imposition is a non starter.
In fact Ruttamaguzi, Sewungu don’t show activeness on just fake excuses. When will u support and appreciate what the government does for the people? U are not in NCDC just because u can’t manage. Which development and change do u need in edn system? In fact u have been lowered down.
Almost every science course at the University and technical institute has technical drawing. My question is why don’t you let that one be compulsory at s1 and s2 other than kiswahili so that students get some knowledge on technical drawing before going to higher institutions
The back bone of the nation is agriculture, why do want our people to die with hunger while speaking many languages which are some times useless for them. Agriculture must be put compulsory, this will trap those lazy students who grew up in town and they know nothing when comes to farm work which at time helps them when they fail to get white collar jobs.
If we were to be full Ugandans, we would go by making agriculture subject compulsory as agriculturalists. There wouldn’t be any debate on whether you are s government beneficiary ( I mean thief) or not. All people eat our local food which is even exported day and night. Can one eat Swahili once you support the no gain subjects in Uganda?
I don’t think government has the money to effectively implement this new curriculum. It is very expensive and to me I call it an “ideal curriculum “.
But I would suggest that law to be made a subject of study at lower secondary because many Ugandans do not know law and that is why we have mob justice, land grabbing, domestic violence, difilement, oppression, nepotism and corruption.
I also look at agriculture as the back born of our economy. First of all roughly about over 80% of the Ugandans depend on agriculture. For me I don’t see any reason of making Swahili compulsory other than agriculture. We should promote our economy by training the Ugandans on better ways of promoting a agricultural production country wide other than prompting Swahili later on yield no benefit to the majority. Therefore I also argue the minister to reverse the circumlunar in favour of a agricultural. JAMES IDIAO student Kyambogo U university
For your information not all Schools have plot of land where they can practice life skills, Some are within city and towns having a fixed small land. Which means they teach theoretical Agriculture in those Schools. Let it be elective so that those ones who have land can have a demonstration plot where learners can practice their competence Based learning
Ssewungu and friends are just drunkereds so they should not waste our time.
I second the issue of Swahili being compulsory and disagree with them making agriculture an optional subject. Agriculture is one of the best activity that is required in our nation because if people are taught all the techniques of farming then uganda shall grow economically
first put all things right .The teachers to implement it are not enough in schools. those in schools are over loaded with work and poverty. why cant u first solve teachers’ problems before bringing more burden to teachers.
In fact the government of uganda delayed to put right the curriculum. Few things can begin perfectly , let’s the program begin the loopholes shall be rectified as we go on. Never fear to begin.
It takes 13 years to train a professional teacher. How sure is the government that training those teachers for five days will equip them with necessary knowledge to handle the new curriculum. Do they have enough money to scout and invigilate the 20% which is to come from school. Removing Rhinelands and North America from Geography and leaving China! What does that mean
It would not have many challenges to implement the new curriculum but facilitating is easy. Thanks to all Ugandans and good night.
Agriculture must be made compulsory. Kiswahili could become compulsory when we get enough teachers of the language and books. In the meantime, local languages need to be taught to increase literacy levels.
I think what should be reformed first is the approach to teaching and learning that is currently being employed. Much of the teaching is for examination passing. I do not see any subject that should be scrapped off the curriculum. To me what matters is how it is taught. I support giving projects to learners as it increases knowledge creation. I want to see more of those methods like flipped learning, peer learning and others being emphasized. Then other subjects like sociology, psychology, computer science, environmental management etc can be added to the curriculum, the existing subjects be revised to merge the content and match it with trends, other than removing them. The revision of the curriculum should be preceded by the development of teaching resources and online and other face to face trainings for teachers to equip them, in order to handle. Schools will not be honest with continuous assessment results due to unhealthy competition that exists in education today.
I want to see immediately the changing of the setting of exams. The exams should be testing understanding and critical thinking as opposed to cram work. The ranking of schools interms of performance is not good. It has led to drilling and teaching for the exams not for the understanding. Schools and universities should consider students’ recommendations in terms of outside classroom activities in addition to certificates when admitting students. So, our curriculum can be enhanced rather than overhauled.
I also second agriculture being compulsory since it is the back borne of uganda’s economy
There is no need of making Kiswahili compulsory leaving alone Agriculture.Uganda as a country benifits on Agriculture most compared to Kiswahili that prepares one for only communication services.Please ugandans debate on this serious issue if not our country is going to be out of the race.
There is no need of making Kiswahili compulsory leaving alone Agriculture.Uganda as a country benifits on Agriculture most compared to Kiswahili that prepares one for only communication services.Please ugandans debate on this serious issue if not our country is going to be out of the race.
it would not be bad to start up a new curriculum but facilitating it is a problem.
This debate about the curriculum should be stopped and we resort other businesses
This should have been the right time to start a new curriculum given the fact that the same effort flopped four years ago.
The curriculum that is about to rolled out is much better than what was rejected by the President in 2016. It however has its own loopholes.
What I agree with is the reduction of content in various subjects and elimination of duplications across different subjects.
Unfortunately, NCDC is not yet ready,you don’t train teachers in 10 days and expect them to deliver well when the methodology has changed.
They don’t even have funds to facilitate teacher training
, we have heard of strikes from different training centres.
With just a week to the start of the new term for S1’s there are no syllabus books or other instructional materials delivered to schools.
Government has not recruited a single Kiswahili or Physical education teacher even in their own schools.
Not even the advert has appeared in the print media.
While UNEB has been struggling to fight malpractice, government has aided it by introducing 20% course work marks under the new curriculum.
You cannot expect all teachers to give genuine marks for all their students.
It is even not clear how and when the 20% has to be sent to UNEB,in S1 or in S4?
Others you will understand as we go along. When a baby is born, they start by crawling, and later the baby try to stand by getting support on object and later you see the baby doing one two one two trying to walk. And in few days you see the baby perfecting the walk.
So give us time the Senior trainers and implementers everything will become perfect as time goes on.
All in all don’t expect a baby to be perfect when he/she is trying to walk, you give time.
So Noise makers on the New curriculum you don’t know actually what you are making noise about.
This new curriculum is a competence Based curriculum that encourages learners to be creative and innovative and do self discovery. Which means at the of the 4 years learners will be job creaters than Job seekers.
Who in their right Sense will support the erradication of agriculture,the president himself talks about agriculture,all the projects that the youth are handling is agriculture based,why would you make kishwahili compulsory yet in school it’s an option to lots of students.mind you it’s only the foreigners who do kishwahili.please forcus on other things.
Really leaving out Agriculture is some thing that makes me feel cold. Because it’s the backbone of our country. I request that before the implementation of the new curriculum, Agriculture should be made compulsory first. Thank NCDC for your work. May God send the Holy spirit to guide you as you revise the curriculum
Kiswahili is a necessity, from East African community, sociality matters much.
Agriculture is the backbone of our Nation
Nutrition is necessary, we need health as humans. And as a nation our nutrition means a lot.
Kiswahili is a necessity, from East African community, sociality matters much.
Agriculture is the backbone of our Nation
Nutrition is necessary, we need health as humans. And as a nation our nutrition means a lot.