The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Oyam, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | An assessment of life skills and values among adolescents has started in Oyam district.
The 1,050 participants in the exercise are between 13 to 17 years old and selected from different sub-counties within the district. They are being assessed in four key areas which include problem-solving, collaboration, self-awareness, and the value of respect.
A similar exercise is being conducted in the districts of Jinja and Kasese using the contextualized assessment tool developed by the Regional Education Learning Initiative (RELI) network under its Action for Life Skills and Values in East Africa (ALiVE) Initiative.
In Uganda, the ALiVE initiative is being coordinated by Uwezo Uganda and Luigi Giussani Foundation in partnership with the Foundation for Inclusive Community Help (FICH).
Christopher Muganga, the curriculum specialist at the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) explained that the NCDC had earlier planned to have the assessment done at school by the teachers regarding the new Lower Secondary Curriculum which is competency-based.
Muganga argued that soft skills are a core and critical area of a learner’s education, adding that assessing these generic skills now will guide the country on how to groom the children’s characters into becoming responsible individuals in the future.
Faridah Nassereka, a lead investigator believes that the new tool will give an idea of how adolescents understand and use their skills, and how such skills can be nurtured.
According to Nassereka, more tools are being developed for use by anyone interested in assessing and developing generic skills among children to have a better future.
These skills which are needed in the workplace are also crucial in promoting the development of the individual in society.
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