By Dickson Tumuramye
When the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) results were released, I read a message on social media where a parent sent a message to a friend mistakenly thinking that his son had received Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) results instead of UCE results.
This confusion arose because many of us are accustomed to the grading system of the old curriculum, which used letter grades from D1 to F9, with a classification ranging from Grade One to Grade Four, and Grade U for failures. Previously, only UACE results followed a grading system from A to O or F. Under the new lower secondary curriculum, however, UCE grading now follows a scale from A to E, leading to widespread confusion among parents and learners.
This misunderstanding is not an isolated case. Many parents and students were taken by surprise upon seeing the results of the lower secondary school curriculum. One parent, upon asking his child how he performed, was told that he was in first grade simply because he saw Result 1 in his results. These instances highlight the lack of awareness about the changes in the grading system and overall curriculum framework.
Beyond just understanding results, parents now face greater challenges in guiding their children through career selection. With this new curriculum, traditional methods of assessing school performance have also changed, further complicating decision-making for both parents and schools. Moreover, a directive from the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) emphasizing digital privacy policies has limited the publication of school-specific performance data, making it harder to compare results and performance across different learners and schools.
The Executive Director of the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) observed that even some candidates struggled with the new format, particularly in science practicals. Many students had difficulty interpreting scenarios, connecting materials to real-life situations, and analyzing experimental results. This suggests that more guidance is needed to help learners develop analytical skills that align with the competence-based approach of the new curriculum.
Creating awareness
To address these challenges, the Ministry of Education and Sports & schools should take the lead in creating widespread awareness about how the new curriculum is implemented, both in schools and among the broader public.
Training sessions to stakeholders
Training sessions for parents could help them understand how they can support their children’s education under this new system.
Headteachers also have a crucial role to play. Organizing training sessions during school events such as Annual General Meetings (AGMs) could help bridge the knowledge gap among parents. These sessions can provide insights into how the curriculum works and the role parents must play in supporting skills development at home.
Schools’ collaborative effort
Additionally, there is a growing need to ensure that even teachers fully understand the new curriculum. While they are expected to guide students, some teachers may not be well-versed in the competence-based approach. Schools should not wait for government interventions but should instead take proactive measures by organizing in-house training programs. If cost is a barrier, schools within the same locality can collaborate to offer joint training workshops, pooling resources to make these initiatives more affordable and effective.
Peer-to-peer mentorship
In cases where government support is limited, schools with already trained staff can implement peer-to-peer training. Experienced teachers can mentor their colleagues, ensuring that the teaching approaches align with the requirements of the new curriculum. Such efforts would help maintain high teaching standards and improve the overall quality of education delivery in the lower secondary schools.
Caption: Students of Bishop Ogez High school in Bushenyi district displaying their products at one of the exhibitions. The new curriculum encourages such.
University Teaching & Training
Higher education institutions that train teachers should align their programs with competency-based education rather than knowledge-based education to meet the standards of the new curriculum. This would ensure that new teacher graduates enter the profession fully equipped, helping to bridge the current knowledge gap regarding the new curriculum.
In all, the transition to the new lower secondary curriculum requires a concerted effort from all stakeholders; government agencies, schools, teachers, parents, and students. By fostering better understanding and collaboration, we can ensure that this new educational framework achieves its intended purpose of equipping learners with relevant skills for the future.
The writer is the executive of Hope Regeneration Africa, a parenting coach, marriage counselor, and founder of the Men of Purpose Mentorship Program.
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