Schools skeptical on implementation of new curriculum as senior one students return

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT |  Several schools and teachers are still skeptical about the implementation of the new lower secondary curriculum as senior one students return to school after an unprecedented full-year holiday.   

The competency-based curriculum was rolled out last year amidst protests from several stakeholders and policymakers. At the time, many teachers had not undergone training on the teaching approaches under the new curriculum.   

In the few weeks, senior one students were at school, teachers were struggling to conduct lessons under the new curriculum due to lack of instructional materials. Many didn’t have learning guides, the assessment framework and textbooks among others.     

Hassan Gombe, the Headteacher Mulago Secondary School, notes that although it’s after a year now,  schools still face the same challenges as they reopen for senior one students. 

Equally, Rogers Kimbugwe, the headteacher of Comprehensive College Kitetikka, says a lot needs to be done for teachers to understand the lower secondary curriculum. He is pessimistic on whether the ‘half-baked’ teachers will be able to deliver the syllabus in the allocated period of 14 weeks.   

Rhodah Namubiru, the Director of studies at Love in Action Secondary School – Masaka notes that many of their teachers have limited knowledge on the curriculum as only a few received training from the National Curriculum Development Centre. She adds that as the school reopens for senior one students, the school is preparing a workshop for all teachers before the actual teaching begins.   

“Although there was much time during the lockdown, we could not hold training as teachers had ventured into other business ventures to make ends meet during the rough COVID-19 times,” says Namubiru.  

Monica Tusiime, the deputy headteacher at Fort Portal Senior Secondary School says some of the teachers that were taken for training have left the school and they had not trained others. 

“NCDC trained four teachers from each school as master trainers they were expected to pass on the information. However, given that this is a private school three of them have already left for greener pastures. Our teachers have not yet understood the new curriculum and this is a big problem,” says Tusiime.   

In a recent interview, Dr. Bernadette Nambi, the NCDC Deputy Director noted that they are aware retooling teachers is a big challenge. Nambi, however, says that ever since the government eased the COVID-19 restrictions to allow gathering of a limited number of people, they have been conducting training in several parts of the country.       

“So far we have done training in Busoga region, northeastern and northern region. Soon we will embark on central and western regions. Where we have been, we have seen changes in perception on the new curriculum most especially when teachers understand what to do,” she noted.    

Besides the little knowledge among teachers, many schools visited by our reporters didn’t have the required teachers for the new compulsory learning areas such as Physical Education, Kiswahili, and several vocational disciplines. 

The new curriculum comprises of among other things conducting student -centred teaching, performing extensive practical and Information Computer Technology -ICT-based lessons, a new teaching approach that aims at producing highly innovative and self-reliant students.

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